THAT
THAT FIVE
THAT FIVE PERCENT MARK THAT PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS LIKE TO SEE.
IT'S JUST BARELY OVER FOUR
PERCENT RIGHT NOW NINE MONTHS
TO NOW HAS BEEN EXPOSING
THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEM
OF CHILDREN RUNNING AWAY FROM
FACILITIES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO
PROTECT THEM.
THESE ARE KIDS SUFFERING WITH
MENTAL ILLNESS AND TRAUMA FROM
ABUSE AND NEGLECT.
TONIGHT WE ASKED THE STATE WHAT
IT IS DOING TO FIX THIS
WIDESPREAD PROBLEM IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COLORADO
SUN.
HERE'S INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
JEREMY JOJOLA FOR MOST OF HER
LIFE MY PARENTS WERE ABLE TO
TAKE CARE OF ME SO THEY WERE
LIKE OK, WE'RE JUST GOING TO
PUT BUISNESSES LYNNZEE
GUYBERSON TENISON EXCELSIOR
THIRD REMINGTON HOUSE USED
DIFFERENT NAMES FOR DCA CLEO
THALLAS MARLAR THIRD WAY NOW 23
YEARS OLD.
I WASN'T PRODUCTIVE THERE.
LYNNZEE REMEMBERS CONSTANTLY
RUNNING AWAY FROM STATE LICENSE
FACILITIES LIKE TENISON SAID
I WOULD JUST GO TO SAYINS LAKE
AND SIT THERE FOR HOURS, JUST
SIT THERE FOR HOURS AND THEN
THEY WOULD FIND ME AND DRAG ME
BACK.
DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE
IS A RUNAWAY PROBLEM AT SOME
OF THESE FACILITIES?
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT
I WOULD REALLY CHARACTERIZE IT
AS A RUNAWAY PROBLEM.
THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT
OF HUMAN SERVICES LICENSES
FACILITIES FOR KIDS SUFFERING
WITH MENTAL ILLNESS OR TRAUMA
FROM ABUSE AND NEGLECT.
WHAT HAS YOUR AGENCY DONE TO
TRY AND MITIGATE THIS ISSUE?
WELL, SO WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING
AT IS A COUPLE OF FACILITIY
MINNNA CASTILLO COHEN SAYS
THE STATE TRIES TO HELP
CHILDREN BEFORE THEY END UP IN
FACILITIES.
YOU SAID IN THE INTERVIEW THAT
YOU WANT TO CALL THIS A RUNAWAY
PROBLEM.
WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT?
I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE DONE
AN EXCELLENT JOB HERE IN
COLORADO OF REDUCING THE NUMBER
OF KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN IN
OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS WHO
STILL RELY ON RESIDENTIAL
TREATMENT?
NO SHOW NO ONE CALLS ARE UP.
THE TENISON CENTER HAS RELIED
ON POLICE SO MUCH DURING A FOUR
MONTH PERIOD AND 20/20 OFFICER
SPENT THE EQUIVALENT OF 36 DAYS
THERE RESPONDING TO 911 CALLS.
WHERE ARE THERE RESOURCES FOR
KIDS AND FAMILIES LIKE THIS IN
THE STATE WESTMINSTER POLICE
SAY CLEO WALLACE REMAINS
THE LARGEST SOURCE OF NINE ONE
ON1 CALLS IN THE CITY.
WE CAN'T BE YOUR AUXILIARY
SUPPORT RIGHT?
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE
THAT YOURSELF.
IS IT GOING TO BE ACCEPTABLE
FOR THESE FACILITIES TO
CONTINUE TO RELY ON POLICE?
I WOULD SAY THAT IT ISN'T
NOW
NOW TO
NOW TO CONTINUOUSLY RELY ON POLICE BUT WE DO NEED THEM IN THIS PARTNERSHIP TO
KEEP KIDS SAFE.
THERE HAVE BEEN DEADLY
CONSEQUENCES IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN
A DRUNK DRIVER KILLED 15 YEAR
OLD ANDREW PORTER AFTER HE RAN
AWAY FROM CLEO WALLACE.
I DIDN'T SEE HIM ALL OF A
SUDDEN BAM BLAST HERE.
TWELVE YEAR OLD TIMMY MONTOYA
KLOEPFEL DIED AFTER RUNNING
FROM THE TENNYSON'S AND PARENTS
EXPECTED THESE CHILDREN TO BE
SAFE.
BUT THEN THE CHILDREN LEFT AND
WERE KILLED.
IT'S HEARTBREAKING.
ANY TIME A CHILD DIES IT'S
HEARTBREAKING, RIGHT?
NO MATTER WHAT THE CAUSE IS FOR
THAT THAT THAT LOSS IS
PROFOUND.
WHAT'S THE FIX HERE?
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT
THE FIX IS.
TWO YEARS AGO THE CHILD
PROTECTION OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE
FOUND DEFICIENCIES IN
THE SYSTEM.
BACK IN TWENTY NINETEEN WE
PRODUCED A REPORT THAT MADE A
SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT
WOULD HAVE IMPROVED SAFETY FOR
CHILDREN IN THESE FACILITIES.
IS THERE ENOUGH OVERSIGHT RIGHT
NOW?
I WOULD SAY THAT OUR TEAM DOES
AN EXCELLENT JOB OF OVERSEEING
THOSE FACILITIES BUT WE CAN
ALWAYS DO BETTER WHEN
THE SAFETY AND CARE OF KIDS IS
AT STAKE.
WE ALWAYS CAN DO BETTER.
YOU FEEL MORE UNSAFE IN THESE
FACILITIES THAN I FELT IN AN
ABUSIVE HOUSEHOLD.
LYNNZEE TELLS US WHEN SHE WOULD
RUN WHEN YOU WERE SITTING THERE
AT THE LAKE YOU WERE JUST
SITTING THERE FOR SOMEONE TO
COME AND TALK TO YOU AND YOU
CAN JUST SEE PEOPLE JUST
WALKING BY BUT NO ONE ACTUALLY
EVER CAME TO YOU.
SHE ALWAYS HOPED SHE'D RUN INTO
THE RIGHT KIND OF HELP JUST
HOPING THAT SOMEONE WOULD FIND
ME AND ASK ME WHAT'S WRONG AND
THEY WOULD TAKE ME SOMEWHERE
ELSE.
THAT'S SOMETHING I ALWAYS
WISHED A RANDOM BYSTANDER WOULD
JUST COME AND BE LIKE ARE YOU
OK?
AND I COULD TELL THEM NO MNOT
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN AND BASED
ON NINE ONE ONE DETTA
THE RUNAWAY PROBLEM HAS BEEN
GETTING WORSE.
POLICE ARE OVERWHELMED LOW PAID
STAFF IN THESE FACILITIES
SUBJECT THEMSELVES TO ATTACKS
AND CAN DO NOTHING TO STOP IT.
AND WORST OF ALL SOME OF THE
KIDS WHO RUN AWAY ARE DYING.
SOME OF THESE LAST RESORT
FACILITIES ARE TAKING ON BURDEN
THEY JUST CANNOT HANDLE.
WE'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS
,YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR
SERIES.
IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT
THESE FACILITIES,