POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A new Florida law aims to protect survivors of domestic abuse by codifying a practice that has been used for a long time: child custody exchanges in law enforcement parking lots.
“We truly believe in safety and security for everyone,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
According to Judd, most child custody exchanges are peaceful and eventful.
“But occasionally we see an event where the family just can’t stand each other and as a result, there needs to be a safe exchange,” he said.
Substations in Polk County already have safe exchange areas, for both children and sales exchanges.
The new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in early June requires every sheriff’s office and substation in Florida to have the designated areas.
They must have a purple light or sign to identify the location of the safe child custody exchange site.
It must be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, have adequate lighting and a continuously recording surveillance camera system.
“Make sure that there’s no cross words, there’s no ugliness that occurs because if there is, we’ll put you in jail and have a videotape,” Judd said .
“We see all kinds of power and control come out in those interactions,” said Mindy Murphy, president & CEO of The Spring of Tampa Bay, the state-certified comprehensive domestic violence center for Hillsborough County.
Murphy said victims and their children are often put in dangerous positions during child custody exchanges.
Just because a couple breaks up, she said, it does not mean the abuse ends.
“I think what the law does is tighten that up, gives a defined space with good lighting, 24 hours a day with cameras on that spot,” Murphy said.
Despite the cameras, lighting and law enforcement nearby, Murphy still advises survivors to be aware of their surroundings and to follow their gut during all interactions.
The new law also states the sheriff’s offices are immune from civil liability for anything that occurs in those locations.
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