It is critical that law enforcement officers assigned to field or investigative duties possess the necessary skills, information, and sensitivity to meet the needs of the victim. Guidelines establishing standard procedures are required for officers to follow in the detection, investigation, and response to cases in which a minor is a victim of an act of abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, or sexual exploitation. This report presents guidelines required under the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) that reflect contemporary law and procedures for investigating reported child abuse offenses. The guidelines include procedures for determining whether or not a child should be taken into protective custody and minimizing the number of times a child is interviewed by law enforcement. In addition, it now requires officers assigned to investigative duties to successfully complete a course for specialists within 6 months of the date of assignment. The guidelines incorporate legal mandates as they pertain to law enforcement personnel. The document is divided into chapters that follow the normal progression of events from the receipt of the initial report to the completion of the case summary for the prosecution attorney. The chapters include: general child abuse investigative procedures, child neglect and emotional abuse/deprivation, physical child abuse, sexual abuse and exploitation of children, domestic violence cases, interview and interrogation techniques, and community child care facilities. Appendices A-K