ESCARS

The first recorded sign of trouble in the brief life of Noah Cuatro came before he was even born. In August 2014, when his mother was nine months pregnant with Noah, she allegedly threw her baby sister, fracturing the 10-month-old’s skull in two places.

Long Beach police officials say a recent audit proves that its hesitance to send officers out on child abuse and neglect calls was based on preliminary investigations, not negligent or haphazard decision-making.

On May 8, The Imprint published a story concerning wide variations in how Los Angeles’ 46 law enforcement agencies respond to reports of suspected child abuse. The figures cited were derived from a review conducted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office as part of its obligation to monitor the county’s Electronic Suspected Child Abuse Reporting system, known as ESCARS.