Authorities insist race not key issue
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

GEORGE BLOCK

When news of this investigation at Young Years Daycare hit the outside media, memories of James Byrd Jr.'s tragic death came flooding back to the press.

Two individuals were arrested in connection with endangering a child charges at the daycare.

The individuals who were arrested are white while the victim is a four-year-old black child.

While some media attempted to portray the incident as racial in nature, Jasper Police were quick to assert the issue was not racially motivated.

"I didn't find that anywhere in my investigation," said Det. Chris Ensign, who investigated the complaint for the department along with Child Protective Services representatives. "That is something that I would had definitely pursued had it come up. In interviewing, the investigation was pure and simple.

"It was a behavioral issue and it should have been handle with positive redirection as the state mandates," Ensign said.

Ensign believes the daycare didn't want to lose the business by lodging any complaints about the child's behavior with the mother of the child.

JULIA BLOCK

"I don't think they intended to do the child harm," Ensign said. "But it was apparent to me that they were trying to scare him into behaving correctly.

"I never saw a racial undertone anywhere," Ensign said.

Ensign, who has children, said it was a difficult case to investigate.

"I felt the seriousness of it," Ensign said. "I have been in law enforcement most of my adult life so I have been able to look at things objectively.

"But as a parent, I wanted to make sure I got to the better of it," Ensign said.

Rumors of the investigation swirled around Jasper for the past couple of weeks but Ensign said the department wanted to make sure the case was thoroughly investigated before determining an outcome.

"It is important to point out that if you are going to run a daycare you need to be on your toes," Ensign said. "You need to make sure you are crossing your T's and dotting your I's and make sure you are adhering to everything the state mandates.

"As a parent, when you drop your kids off at a daycare, you are leaving them and working the position of a parent to these kids. That is where your kids are supposed to be safe," Ensign said.

Ensign credited the victim and the parents of the victim in working with police and CPS on this investigation.

"Once the parents were informed of the allegation, they were livid," Ensign said. "I promised I would find the truth if they would be patient and let me do my job."