Maricopa County Trains Investigators on Handling Child Abuse Cases

County Attorney Rachel Mitchell hosts training for law enforcement and child welfare workers on conducting proper forensic interviews with abused children.

Feb. 6, 2026 at 7:07pm

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The Maricopa County Attorney's Office is working to ensure that forensic interviews with abused children are conducted properly. County Attorney Rachel Mitchell hosted a training this week for law enforcement, including undercover agents and child welfare investigators with the Department of Child Safety, to teach them how to do forensic interviews in an appropriate, neutral location that is comfortable for the child, rather than at their home, school, or a police station.

Why it matters

Proper forensic interviews are crucial for gathering accurate information from child abuse victims and ensuring their safety and well-being. This training aims to improve the interview process and create a more comfortable environment for vulnerable children to share their experiences.

The details

The training focuses on making sure forensic interviews are conducted in the right location - a neutral, comfortable place for the child, rather than their home, school, or a police station. This helps put the child at ease and encourages them to open up about the abuse they have experienced.

  • The training took place this week in Maricopa County, Arizona.

The players

Rachel Mitchell

The Maricopa County Attorney who hosted the training for law enforcement and child welfare investigators.

Department of Child Safety

The state agency that employs child welfare investigators who participated in the training.

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What they’re saying

“It's going to teach them to do it in an appropriate place, a neutral place, not their home, not their school, but someplace comfortable and not a police station either.”

— Rachel Mitchell, Maricopa County Attorney (abc15.com)

The takeaway

This training is an important step in improving the way child abuse cases are handled, ensuring that vulnerable children are interviewed in a safe, comfortable environment that allows them to share their experiences openly and honestly, which is critical for protecting them and bringing their abusers to justice.