Special agents in dark suits and sunglasses drive black Suburbans through the city streets while unknown VIPs hide behind tinted windows. The men in black could be special agents from the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) protecting foreign dignitaries, but not this time. For the third consecutive year, the Greensboro DSS Resident Office, with support from the Diplomatic Security Training Center, provided protection training for police officers from various North Carolina law enforcement agencies.
The week-long training allowed state and local law enforcement officers to practice the skills they use when assisting DSS and the Secret Service when visiting dignitaries in the state of North Carolina. Training is the type of collaboration DSS conducts throughout the year with national and international law enforcement and security partners.
A person may be examined by DSS if someone notices and reports:
- A child has unexplained bruises, bumps, bite marks, bald spots, or burns
- A child repeatedly breaks bones or cuts that require medical attention.
- A child does not have appropriate clothing for the climate and environment
- A child does not have enough food and is underweight.
- A child falls asleep regularly and is tired
- A child is unusually shy of physical contact.
- A child has described being a victim of emotional, sexual, or physical abuse
- A child exhibits antisocial, destructive, or self-injurious behavior
If there is a report due to of abuse or neglect, North Carolina law requires DSS to investigate the allegation. If you are reported for child abuse or neglect, you can expect the next trial to begin immediately.
Parents duressed to sign
The parents told the Carolina Public Press that Cherokee County social workers forced them to sign an illegal document called a custody and visitation agreement. The paperwork was formatted to look like a legal document, with a pad for a notary to sign.
Hannah Allen, a mother in Cherokee County, said social workers threatened to use her own juvenile court record against her and have her son released forever if she refused to sign.
Similar systems with key differences
In states like North Carolina, counties have the authority to direct their departments as they see fit while following state and federal guidelines, with the states in the role act as a support administrator.
In this type of system, counties have a lot of latitude in hiring local jobs, and states sometimes step in to screen candidates when counties apply for help.