Last Thursday Portsmouth Police Officers responded to Hutchins Street for a report of a toddler found wandering alone. Officers took charge of the child and spent hours trying to track down the parents. When they did, CPS was called in to investigate. Now, that same child was found alone in the street again.
Just after 10 a.m. on Monday, a witness reported a wandering child with no adults in sight. When officers responded to the scene, they found the same baby from the previous call outside in 49-degree weather.
Police immediately contacted CPS and workers responded to the scene to assist. From the police call logs and scanner traffic, it does not appear that anyone was charged in connection with this incident. The matter now appears to be in the hands of CPS.
The already over-burdened agency has been struggling to keep up with a growing number of children in their care, a situation Director Tammy Moore Morton described as “climbing a mountain while the mountain is on fire.”
Morton was scheduled to give a public update on the status of the agency at the County Commissioners Meeting, but that was canceled by the Commissioners due to a more pressing matter. We’ll update you on any new information about this case or about the status of CPS when we are able to hear from the agency director.
