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<br />"Vulnerable Adult": A person 18 years of age or older whose ability to perf 01111 the <br />n0l111al activities of daily living or to provide for his or her own care or protection is <br />impaired due to a mental, emotional, physical, or developmental disability or <br />dysfunctioning, or brain damage, or the infil111ities of aging. [Florida Statute <br />415.102(26) ] <br /> <br />C. INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURES <br /> <br />1. The Florida Abuse Hotline, known as the "Hotline", of the Florida <br />Department of Children and Families (DCF) is responsible, as required by <br />Florida Statute 415, for accepting reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of <br />vulnerable adults and transmitting each report to the county where the <br />vulnerable adult (victim) is located. <br /> <br />2. The DCF adult protective investigator (API) shall immediately orally notify, <br />as required by Florida Statute 415, the undersigned law enforcement agency <br />when the depmtment has reason to believe that abuse, neglect, or exploitation <br />has occurred and was perpetrated by a party other than the vulnerable adult <br />(victim). Following the oral notification, the API will, within 5 days, deliver <br />or transmit a copy of the abuse repOlt to the undersigned law enforcement <br />agency or to the law enforcement officer assigned to the criminal <br />investigation. If an emergency response for a law enforcement officer is <br />necessary, the API shall notify the appropriate law enforcement agency by <br />contacting Sunny Isles Beach Police Department. <br /> <br />3. The API will immediately notify, as required by Florida Statute 415, the <br />undersigned law enforcement agency in writing when there is reasonable <br />cause to suspect that a vulnerable adult (victim) died as a result of abuse, <br />neglect, or exploitation. <br /> <br />4. The undersigned law enforcement agency(ies) will review the abuse repOli <br />and determine whether a criminal investigation is wal1"anted. If a criminal <br />investigation is initiated, the criminal investigation shall be coordinated with <br />the adult protective investigation to proceed concurrently with, and not be <br />hindered by, the protective investigation. Evidence gathered in criminal <br />investigations will be handled according to the procedures of the JO Agency. <br /> <br />5. If, during the course of a protective investigation being conducted by the <br />Depmtment of Children and Families, the JO Agency detelmines that a <br />criminal investigation is warranted, then the undersigned agencies agree to <br />conduct a joint investigation. During the course of such investigations, the <br />pmties hereto agree to share infOlmation, whenever possible. Any <br />infol111ation received from the JO Agency by the Depmtment of Children and <br />Families will become a pel111anent pmt of the case record and as such is <br />confidential and shall be exempt from production pursuant to s.119.07 (1) and <br />