DSHS defends its handling of Josh Powell case

Did police in Utah warn authorities in Washington that Josh Powell’s children were in danger?

State Senator Pam Roach, R-Auburn, wants to know specifically what information police in West Valley City, Utah provided to Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services, but DSHS says there is nothing they could have done to stop Josh Powell from seeing his two boys.

“We would have taken action if there would have been any information about physical harm toward the children by Joshua Powell or any suicidal thoughts,” Sherry Hill with DSHS, told 97.3 KIRO FM’s Dori Monson Show.

Senator Roach has submitted a request for communication between Utah police and DSHS under public disclosure laws.

“I think we need to know what was sent from the state of Utah to Washington state and we will determine by the content whether or not there was a warning that was disregarded,” said Roach.

The police chief in West Valley City, Utah issued a news release on Feb. 1, 2012, the day a judge in Tacoma denied Powell’s latest request for custody of his two children. The press release stated, in part, that while investigating the disappearance of Powell’s wife Susan in 2009, the department “discovered information specifically related to their children’s welfare.”

Without being specific, the news release states that the information was provided to authorities in the state of Washington.

“I don’t think he would bother to send out this information if it wasn’t some kind of pertinent information to the welfare of the kids,” said Roach.

Part of the information contained in the file was a photo of a poster seized from Josh Powell’s home depicting a woman with a sword through her genitals. In part, it was because of that photo that a judge ordered Powell undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation before he could get his sons back, but allowed supervised visits to continue.

Thomas Shapley, spokesperson with DSHS, said it was up to the court to determine Powell’s visitation rights, and there was nothing DSHS could have done to stop them.

Senator Roach also claims that Josh Powell was given special treatment when he was allowed in-home visits with his children.

97.3 KIRO FM’s Tim Haeck contributed to this report.