How come we don't investigate the friends and families of criminals?

A mandated reporter is required to report the suspected abuse or neglect to the state Central Registry for abuse, not to police or the FBI. A mandated reporter receives extensive training about what abuse and neglect are, what they look like, and how to report it. If they don’t report it, they can be fired.

I’m a mandated reporter, as are doctors, dentists, teachers, therapists, police, etc.

As far as the second part of your question, why aren’t the friends and acquaintances investigated and charged, they often are investigated and charged.

Just to add that the term mandated is because people that are mandated reporters work under a mandate – a mandate to report it to Child Protective State Central Registry.

When I was working in that field, I would have nursery schools and other people who should know better call me up and tell me about suspected abuse or neglect. It was like, uuuhhhh, this is great to know but I’m not the State Central Registry. They have to call the state, not the local caseworker.

Here’s a list of who is a mandated reporter and some details (from a NYS site):

https://www.nysmandatedreporter.org/MandatedReporters.aspx

Aren’t family and friends the first people investigators question after a crime is committed?

@jonsblond , only in the attempt to find the actual perpetrator. But there is no law that requires you to turn in a family member that you know has committed a predatory crime (in most situations). There should be, though.

Speaking as a former LEO, the friends and family, are the first suspects in things like murder, or a missing person.
Unfortunately, murder is most often committed by people who were closest to the victim.

Plus. Law enforcement cannot force someone to talk. If someone says they say nothing, heard nothing, know nothing, or cannot recall, that’s the end of it.
It may be brought up again in trial, but again, there is nothing forcing people to tell the truth.
Unless you count swearing people in on a Bible, which may be the most empty/meaningless gesture I can imagine…

As far as turning someone in, that can be done anonymously.
There are some privileges in regards to married couples, and having to testify.

For perspective on “how well trained” mandated reporters are, try reading up on the “Take Care of Maya” trial. Better yet, watch the entire trial on Youtube, or watch the Netflix documentary. I did, and it’s very informative. And frightening.

Bottom line, Maya and her family family were awarded $261 million after they won their trial against John’s Hopkins.
https://screenrant.com/take-care-of-maya-true-story-explained-updates/

Medical kidnap (yes, it’s a real thing and it’s tragic), is Big Business for hospitals, CPS, and everyone else involved. Unless of course they are caught.

The question assumes that the family is NOT questioned or investigated. If someone is found with a truck full of catalytic converters, the family may very well be questioned and investigated unless there is obvious evidence that they had nothing to do with it. I know of a case where a guy was making illegal fireworks in his basement and he blew his house up. The kids were at school and the wife was at the store at the time. But I know the wife was questioned, the kids were too young. The wife’s story was that she was an abused wife and was not allowed to go into the basement…ever. She had no idea what he was doing down there.

There is also the question of whether a spouse can be forced to testify against their mate. In court, there are very few times one spouse can be forced, or even allowed, to testify against the other in a court case. So given that, I would think that any investigation if one spouse is arrested would be to determine if the other spouse is an active participant in the crime.

They investigate them for the most part. This may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and also vary based on the criminal offense.

@MrGrimm888 , you mentioned there is nothing that forces family members to provide information against a friend or member of their household. They can lie and pretend to know nothing, and that’s the end of it.
Shouldn’t it be a crime to hold back information? It’s not now. But shouldn’t it be?

@Kraigmo So you want a society of narcs? But the incoming President calls them snitches and wants to jail them if they reported a crime that his supporters committed.

Sounds like Scientology.

@Kraigmo Where where you, and what exactly were doing, on the night of March 11th, 2018?..
Be exact.
Could you prove, what you’re saying?
Do you have receipts, or anything to prove you aren’t a suspect in a crime I’m investigating?
Keep in mind, as an investigator I have the legal ability to lie to you, to illicit responses. BUT. You as a person being investigated/questioned, have to be 100% honest. That dynamic alone, is a problem.

In many cases, people are trying to just not get caught up, in anything. I can understand that…
In some neighborhoods, you don’t want to be seen even having a conversation with a LEO.
Law enforcement, is vastly overwhelmed and undermanned, in America. They can’t protect people all the time.
People sometimes, don’t feel safe, cooperating, as a result.

In some communities, law enforcement, has lost the trust of the people. So nobody cooperates.

In some cases, it’s hard to believe, but people forget things that JUST happened…

Part of your “freedom”/civil rights, is that you don’t have to worry about being dragged somewhere, and interrogated until you confess to a crime you may not have committed.