ILLINOIS STATE POLICE
Hiram Grau - Director
NEWS
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT |
| Date: December 23, 2011 | Trooper Mike Link |
| Time: 9:12 a.m. | 618.346.3524 - Office |
| 618.973.3050 - Cell | |
| mike.link@isp.state.il.us |
Illinois State Police District 11 Head Quarters is a “Safe Haven”
COLLINSVILLE, IL – Illinois State Police (ISP) District 11 reminds the public that all Illinois State Police district headquarters are safe havens.
Illinois' Safe Haven law was written to provide a safe alternative to abandonment for Illinois parents who feel they cannot cope with a newborn baby. It offers safe havens for newborns.
Under Illinois’ Safe Haven law, parents may relinquish an unharmed newborn, 30-days-old or younger, to personnel at hospitals, emergency medical care facilities, police or fire stations. Parents may give up their child anonymously and without fear of prosecution for abandonment.
“I think the Safe Haven law is a great idea,” stated District 11 Commander, Captain Brad Parsons. “I would much rather have a Trooper spend his or her shift caring for a newborn baby safely dropped off at our headquarters, then have a Trooper find a newborn baby abandoned and fighting to survive,” he continued.
If a parent relinquishes a baby to any safe haven location the parent is free to leave. The parent does not have to give a name or answer any questions. No one will try to stop or follow the parent.
Relinquished babies will be taken to the nearest hospital. The baby will receive a health exam, any needed medical care, and be adopted by a loving family.
For more information on the Safe Haven law, you can go to www.saveabandonedbabies.org.
Locations that are considered safe havens will display the attached sign.
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One Driving Fatality is One too Many and the Illinois State Police is Committed to Driving Zero Fatalities a Reality
www.isp.state.il.us / TDD: 1-800-255-3323
