Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Safe Haven Baby Box topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
El Campo council declines installation of Safe Haven baby box at public safety building after public testimony
Summary
After extensive public testimony and staff concerns about anonymity, dispatching and liability, the El Campo City Council voted against installing a Safe Haven baby box at the public safety building. Supporters said the box offers a no-cost safety option; staff and some councilmembers said the site was unsuitable.
Supporters of a Safe Haven baby box told the El Campo City Council on May 26 that the device could save newborn lives and would be supported by local churches and volunteers, but the council declined to install the box at the city's public safety building after staff and several councilmembers raised operational and liability concerns.
"If one child was placed in the baby box and we were able to rescue that life ' it's well worth it," said Omar Garcia, a pastor in El Campo who offered church support for supplies and short-term care. Multiple residents, including Judy Pitter and Jane Smith, recounted personal and community reasons to provide an anonymous surrender option and described the box's features, including an "orange bag" with counseling and trafficking hotline information and a 60-second alarm window.
City staff, speaking through the city administrator, said they supported the program concept but warned the proposed location at the public safety building would undercut the anonymity the program is meant to provide. "We have cameras everywhere," the administrator said, noting the lobby and security design and the fact that the fire station is not staffed 24/7. Staff also raised concerns that dispatchers could be diverted from emergency calls and that insurance coverage would have limits in the event of a malfunction.
Councilmember Tom Cooence said he supported the intent to protect newborns but said he had not seen local evidence that the box would serve a need not already addressed by Texas's Safe Haven laws, and he emphasized the loss of family medical and social history when a surrender is anonymous. "I do not believe a sufficient local need has been established," Cooence said.
After public testimony and council discussion, members voted on a motion regarding installation at the public safety building. With no recorded roll-call vote in the transcript, the mayor asked for a show of hands on the installation question and declared the motion denied.
What happens next: the denial applied specifically to placing a baby box at the public safety building. Supporters were urged to continue outreach to hospitals and other partners and to provide additional operational proposals; city staff said it would help coordinate alternatives and further information if proponents can demonstrate a local need or propose a different, operationally suitable site.
