Runaway incidents dogging Devereux

Residents meet with foundation executive, seek answers

WALLACE >> Devereux and township officials are working together to communicate with residents when a juvenile leaves the campus because of an increase in runaway incidents.

Leah Yaw, senior vice president for external affairs of Devereux, spoke to residents on Thursday night about the changes at the behavioral center meant to improve security measures, and how they are working with township officials in the event that a juvenile leaves the Devereux Foundation’s

Brandywine Campus.

“This is the highest priority for us,” Yaw said. “We want to do right by you and by the kids.”

Several residents expressed concerns that a few juveniles recently still managed to escape from the facility even after improved security measures were reviewed in the wake of an earlier case in which a juvenile, a Delaware County native, escaped and was arrested for his alleged role in beating and robbing an elderly woman in her West Brandywine home in February.

Devereux officials would call 911 to report the runaway, and now they also contact township officials, who have a role in informing residents about the situation.

“We’re accomplishing a lot because we’re working together,” supervisors’ Chairman Rob Jones said.

Among the changes, and a common theme in the discussion during the supervisors’ meeting, were the alerts to inform residents that a juvenile has left the facility without permission. Residents can receive a reverse 911 call and Ready

Chesco alerts from township officials or the West Brandywine Police Department.

When the residents noted the differences in a few alerts, such as one message that said that the runaway was not a threat, Jones said that message came from the police. He said that messages from the township will not include such notes because the township officials do not know the circumstances or the individual.

Yaw said that she is proud to say that not all of the kids on the campus are dangerous, a description used by some residents. She noted that 5 percent of the students have been involved in the juvenile justice system. Yaw explained the “heartbreaking” reason why some of the juveniles leave the Glenmoore campus located in the township.

“They are almost always never running away from Devereux. They’re almost always trying to go home,” said Yaw, who became emotional. “They come from extraordinary painful and difficult backgrounds. They’ve had extraordinary trauma in their young lives, but they still want to go home. Mom and dad are still mom and dad.”

Some of the kids are on campus 24/7 while others are there only for the day. Yaw explained that every child has a behavioral health diagnosis, such as depression or bipolar disorder.

The residents noted an hour delay during an April 13 incident from the time a student was last seen on campus and when a notice was sent to residents. The teen was found early the next morning by Pennsylvania State Police without incident. This occurred before

“This is the highest priority for us. We want to do right by you and by the kids.” — Leah Yaw, senior vice president for external affairs of Devereux

Devereux began working with the township.

“An hour is too long, I agree,” Jones said. “We cut that time in half the last time. I do think that going forward we will see more improvement. We will make this as fast as possible.”

Jones explained that it takes time to gather information, confirm what happened and who is missing before any information is disseminated. He noted that they did cut the time it takes to issue an alert, and Devereux officials hope to improve it. Currently it could take about 20 to 30 minutes before a notification is sent. The supervisors explained that a reverse 911 alert never was made when the last runaway was reported on Monday because the matter was resolved so quickly, according to Jones.

One resident suggested that Devereux officials could use a phone blast to alert residents who live close to the facility about any escapes. Yaw will see if it is possible.

“We will do everything we can to get this right,” Yaw said.

While Yaw said they hope to regain the trust of the residents, some residents said that they felt unsafe when a Devereux juvenile runs away from the facility. Wallace resident Bill Radford said he is “sick and tired” of hearing the same stories and apologies during the 40 years that he has lived near the facility.

Township officials and the three supervisors are working with Devereux officials and the West Brandywine Police Department, which currently provides services to Wallace Township. The supervisors met with the county 911 Center and West Brandywine police to automatically send all Devereux runaway reports to the West Brandywine Police Department.

The supervisors are also working with their state elected officials, Sen. Bill Rafferty, R-44, and Sen. Tim Hennessey, R-26. Sen. Andrew Dinniman, D-19, is proposing legislation to improve security and notification procedures at non-secure juvenile facilities.