San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced September 2 that parents and guardians can now report violations of court-ordered child visitations on the DA’s public website. The new system streamlines the reporting process by giving parents a way to document the civil violations at any time without requiring a police officer to be present.
“This new system is a great example of using technology to improve efficiency during a time of shrinking budgets and staff,” said DA Dumanis. “It allows for the reporting and tracking of what can be serious violations of a court order, but at the same time frees up law enforcement officers to respond to more violent crimes.”
The online reporting is designed to keep track of violations in the event a complainant wants to pursue civil action against the violator or seek other enforcement remedies in Family Court. People reporting violations can print out a copy of their report as soon as they complete the form.
Online reports of child visitation violations will be monitored and kept on file by the Child Abduction Unit, a part of the District Attorney’s Family Protection Division. However, no further action will be taken by the DA’s Office and criminal charges will not be filed based solely on a Visitation Violation Report form. Individuals needing assistance pursuing a civil enforcement remedy should contact a private attorney or the Family Law Facilitator.
The new reporting system is available online at
www.sdcda.org/visitation. The District Attorney’s Child Abduction Unit (CAU) had 647 contacts that led to 212 cases being opened and 129 children recovered last year. Specially-trained investigators and Deputy District Attorneys not only recovered children locally, but also consulted and assisted internationally. During 2009, children were recovered from countries such as Russia, France, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Peru, Columbia, Guam, Venezuela, Marianna Island, and Taipei.
