DENVER — The Running out of Options investigation exposes a systemic problem of troubled children running away from state-licensed facilities that are supposed to protect them.
Rules prevent facility staff from stopping children from leaving, leading to overwhelmed police.
In some cases, children have been killed.
>> Read the full collaborative investigation with the Colorado Sun and watch five chapters of these stories below.
Chapter 1: Timmy stopped running
A 12-year-old boy who had a history of running away was killed after running away from the Tennyson Center in Denver.
The year Timmy died, the Tennyson center called Denver Police 129 times for runaways.
Chapter 2: Andrew is never coming back
A teen living with a traumatic brain injury who had a history of wandering away from school and facilities was killed by a drunk driver after leaving the Cleo Wallace facility in Westminster. The facility is the largest source of 911 calls in the city.
Chapter 3: An officer loses his temper
A Denver police sergeant, so frustrated with the number of runaway calls, berates facility staff and children during a runaway call to Mount Saint Vincent Home. The incident, captured on audio, is an example of how tensions have boiled over between facility staff and police.
Chapter 4: The burned-out caretakers of children
Former staff members from facilities come forward to share traumatizing stories of being attacked by children. They speak out about a lack of staff and low pay.
Chapter 5: What's the fix?
A young woman who lived in several facilities shares why she constantly ran away. The state agency tasked with overseeing the facilities answers questions about what it is doing to improve the system.
Web extra: A conversation about the investigation
9Wants to Know and the Colorado Sun discussed this investigation, and what changes could be coming to the system.
Tips or comments? Contact Jeremy Jojola (jeremy@9news.com) or Jennifer Brown (jennifer@coloradosun.com)
FULL PLAYLIST: Running out of Options