Police Response to PRTFs - Disability Rights Arkansas

Police Response Videos | 911 Calls

The video clips here are a sampling of law enforcement responses to psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTF). All footage is from body-worn cameras of responding officers and was obtained using the state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The clips allow a glimpse into these facilities, often during or just after some of their most chaotic moments. They also allow you to hear from law enforcement, staff, and residents firsthand about their experiences that extend beyond the immediate situation that has brought law enforcement to the facility.

In some facilities law enforcement has been relied on as a form of behavior management. This exposes youth in treatment facilities to additional trauma and potential criminal liability for behaviors that are often manifestations of their disabilities and the very reason they are placed in a residential treatment program.

Some of the departments that respond to PRTFs do not use body-worn cameras. The video clips here are a representation of what is available and not a representation of the law enforcement response or lack of response to all PRTFs. Saline County Sheriff’s Department (Neurorestorative Timber Ridge), West Memphis Police Department (Perimeter of West Memphis), and Arkansas State Police do not wear body cameras. The Fordyce Police Department (Millcreek Behavioral Health) says, “body cam footage is available depending on the nature of the call if the officer had time to activate it.” The Hamburg Police Department (Delta Family Health and Fitness for Children) has not confirmed body cameras but has stated, “all video of calls cannot be given out.” The Faulkner County Sheriff’s Department (Little Creek Behavioral Health) began using body-worn cameras on March 29, 2023.

Police Response Videos

For closed captions, select the “CC” button in the lower right-hand corner of each video.

06.19.24- Millcreek Behavioral Health / Habilitation Center, Inc.

Officer to staff – “How do they get out so easy.” Staff – “They can kick the doors in.” Officer – “That’s awesome. Should probably get some bigger doors.”

04.13.24- Millcreek Behavioral Health / Habilitation Center, Inc.

Mom speaking to officer, “This is unfortunately not the first time I’ve heard of things like this happening at this facility, and it has been a lot of the facility’s word against the children’s word, because there aren’t cameras where there ought to be cameras.”

04.06.24-United Methodist Children’s Home Dacus (Bono)

Staff speaking to officer, “He’s mad I called you guys, because he didn’t answer the phone.”…..”And he said,’ why’d y’all call the cops on a little kid?’ I was like, well, you didn’t answer the phone, man.”

03.05.24 United Methodist Children’s Home- Little Rock

Officer speaking to resident, “I don’t agree with the way they do things sometimes. I’ve taken reports where they’re accusing somebody of something, right, like a kid, but they don’t let me talk to the kid to get their side of the story.”

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12.02.23 United Methodist Children’s Home Dacus

Staff to officer, “I went in there and I basically twisted his ear real hard in order to get him off the bed, which we’re not supposed to touch them.”

12.30.23 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Officer to mother – “The problem is we come in here a lot for this kind of stuff and worse. We can press charges. The real issue is staff, like, that allows it to happen.”

12.30.23 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Officer speaking to staff – “It happened yesterday and no one from this facility called us, right? That’s the first issue. The second issue is they told mom she had to do it, so they can’t be guardian now. They didn’t want to handle it yesterday, so now Mom’s gonna be a part of it.”

12.30.23 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Officer to Staff – “Cause right now, a twelve-year-old got beat up and no one did anything.”

Officer to Resident – “What I mean, they didn’t do anything is that they didn’t contact authorities, they didn’t have a medic come check you out. The girl hasn’t been removed from your room or your reach or your unit, however, you want to refer to that, and all the higher-ups just kind of went home.” “They haven’t taken any actions to prevent this or correct it.”

12.15.23- Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Resident to Officer, “I tried getting the police called up here the day that it happened, but they refused to call the police. Like, living here has literally made me worse. Like, I can’t stay here any longer and we’ve been threatened with the police getting called on us. Kids were banging on the door, and they had the police called up here.”

12.15.23- Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Resident, “They have been denying a lot of our rights here, and we have been asking for intervention phone calls here and they have not let us have them so we can get in contact with CPS. Cause I’ve been trying to get in contact with CPS for a little while about all the situations that have happened here against me and a couple other residents.”

“In fact, the same girl ——– made a petition that she needs to call CPS and 28 girls signed that petition as to that we were getting traumatized here and mistreated.”

12.15.23- Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Resident to officer, “You can ask any resident around here and they say, “Yes, we’ve been traumatized here. We’re not getting the care we need here.” “Ask literally any resident.”

11.08.23 – United Methodist Children’s Home Dacus

“He’s a DHS. He’s 11…When you guys [the police] come out here, you straighten them up a little bit and give them something to think about,” staff to police officer.

11.08.23 – United Methodist Children’s Home Dacus

“I’m going to go back there and tear your stuff up, how about that? That going to make you happy? Well, I can tore everything up you got. Will that work?” police officer to a 13-year-old child.

07.28.23 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“We’ve gotten into knockdown, drag down fights, too, with folks. And unfortunately, department always says, well, you know, don’t try to, but we got to protect y’all, you know what I’m saying?”

07.09.23 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“I want ya’ll to act like you’re going to get them,” staff to police officers.

07.09.23 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“She electrocuted herself…she kept passing out,” child explaining earlier incident to police officer.

07.09.23 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“She electrocuted herself…she kept passing out,” child explaining earlier incident to police officer.

07.09.23 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“I had to act out to get my feelings heard,” child to police officer.

06.13.23 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“I should have brought her out here and had y’all tell her that y’all are taking her to jail,” staff to law enforcement.

05.10.23 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“They just left a 16 year old that is supposed to be under their care unattended in a parking lot… they [said] they don’t have the staff they’re not coming back,” officer to supervisor on phone.

05.01.23 United Methodist Children’s Home Dacus

“They do know if he starts his crap again they’re going to put him in a hold and I am going to give him those Thorazine shots…. He’s a- well DHS just dumped him on us, that’s what they do,” staff to police officer.

05.01.23 United Methodist Children’s Home Dacus

“He’s a DHS kid. So they usually get out of a lot of stuff that they shouldn’t get out of,” staff to police officer.

05.01.23 United Methodist Children’s Home Dacus

“I am going to f****** kill myself. That’s what’s going on... Because nobody f****** cares about me,” child to officer and staff.

01.20.23 – United Methodist Children’s Home Dacus / United Methodist Children’s Home (Bono)

“I just said forget it and took him to the ground and got on top of him,” staff to officer. “They need tasers here,” officer.

01.13.23 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

Officer walks through building where fire extinguishers were expelled and speaks to child. “This place needs to be shut down,” child to police officer.

01.13.23 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

Child restrained on the ground screaming as officer walks through building.

11.26.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Residents reported for stolen car and wallet of staff.

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“I’m going to be honest with you, I think this place is ran very poorly,” officer to child

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“That is very simply part of the job,” officer to staff.

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“The last time I was here I watched a staff member get fired because she was trying to fight kids… a girl just came up crying because a staff member was making fun of her [and] gave out her medical information to the entire pod,” officer to staff. “When you have staff issues like that this place will never work. The kids are getting tortured,” officer to staff.

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“No discipline here,” officers speaking to each other

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“They are out of ratio,” staff responding to why a child cannot be put back on a unit.

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“There is dangerous stuff everywhere. If I really wanted to hurt myself I would grab this or this,” child to officers. “They don’t do their jobs…be f***ing for real,” child to officers.

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“There are so many unprofessional staff here,” staff to officer.

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“Hire better staff that doesn’t bully kids,” officer to staff.

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“The nurse that was here was forced to press charges on that girl,” staff to officer. “Pressing charges does not accomplish the goal,” officer to staff.

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“Taser, taser,” officer to other officers prior to entering building in riot response.

Did staff do something to you again?

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“Did staff do something again to you,” child to a peer. “Is that the girl that was going to break out with her? …They probably shouldn’t be kept together,” officer to staff.

11.18.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“I am trying to get my boss to get more staff in here,” staff to officer.

11.07.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“So you are not going to take her?” Nurse to officers. “It’s not all unicorns and rainbows here. That is kind of what you signed up for,” officer to facility nurse.

11.07.22- Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Give me the full run down.

11.07.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“It’s unsafe on the miulieu,” facility nurse to officer.

11.02.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“They [staff] slammed me against that wall,” child to officer.

11.02.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“This has been going on for hours…these are lightbulbs they pulled down,” staff to officers.

Officers speaking to staff in office (2)

11.01.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

Part 2 – Facility called police to file charges against residents involved in a riot that occurred earlier in the night.

11.01.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Facility called police to file charges against residents involved in a riot that occurred earlier in the night.

11.01.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“This is a lovely room of death,” officer to other officers while clearing units.

11.01.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

Officers clearing unit.

11.01.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“Woah what’s going on,” staff member as all staff members run through doorway. “Glad they have a staff member with her,” officer to other officers after child that appears to be experiencing a medical emergency is left alone with another child attempting to comfort her.

11.01.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“Who oversees this?” officer to other officers.

11.01.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“This is like something straight out of a horror movie,” officer to other officers while walking through units after sprinkler had been activated.

11.01.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“If any of them did run off, can you blame them?” officer to other officers while clearing units.

11.01.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

Officer: “Do ya’ll know what is going on with her?” Staff: “I was not here during the whole thing, but her behaviors have been like this for a long time, in all honesty we’ve been trying to get her out of here.”

11.01.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“Thank you for calming down,” officer to child.

Officers speaking to staff in the office (4)

11.01.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“The people that work here don’t even know what happened because there were too many incidents”

Officers speaking to staff in the office (3)

11.01.22 – Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks / Woodridge of the Ozarks

“Pressing charges on kids that obviously have issues is not beneficial…it is not your job to file a police report so that he [the director] can get his job done easier,” officer to staff.

10.09.22 – Little Creek Behavioral Health

“I’d rather be in jail than this placement,” child to officers that located him after leaving facility.

09.28.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“I was trying to get away from the situation,” child to officer when explaining that staff would not allow him off the unit when things were escalating.

09.28.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

Staff yelling at kid, pepper spray, arrests.

09.28.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

Went crazy, 3 fights

09.28.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“We just had like two run I think,” staff member to officer arriving at facility.

09.28.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

Officer enters unit and points taser at several children. Yelling and one child repeatedly yelling, “kill me” can be heard.

09.28.22 – Centers for Youth & Families Little Rock

“Honestly I don’t know because so much chaos going on,” staff to officer. “They broke his arm,” staff to officer.

08.27.22 – United Methodist Children’s Home Dacus / United Methodist Children’s Home (Bono)

Child: “Can’t a staff go to jail for hitting you?” Officer: “It depends” Child: “I threw socks at her [staff] and she came in my room and kicked me in by butt and my back and she started hitting me.” Child 2: “She punched me this morning.”