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Responding to the needs of victims

Jun 13, 2018 | 8:00 AM

If you are a victim of crime in the Battlefords area and are unsure of where to turn, the staff at the Battlefords Victims Services program want to help.

Battlefords Victim Services is a non-profit organization which works closely with the RCMP to assist victims of crime. Program Co-ordinator Jenna Holt said the organization’s mandate is to provide victims with as much information and support as possible so they feel comfortable navigating the criminal justice system.

“It’s important for us to treat each person who walks into our office with respect and dignity,” Holt said. “We are there to support victims of trauma and crime and do it by listening and understanding their situation so we can help them better.”

Holt said the program, which has been serving the Battlefords for over 20 years, depends primarily on trained volunteers to provide services to those in need.

“I see our role as a roadmap,” Holt said. “We are not counsellors and we are not type of direct service but we can certainly refer you to the correct person or service that you may need.”

 Holt said that one issue the organization is currently facing is the need for more volunteers. She said everyone who works with victim services needs to go through security clearance checks through the RCMP.

“We have 10 volunteers right now who are security cleared and eight that are trained to handle files,” she said. “We can always use more.”

Holt and her team has assisted members of the Battlefords RCMP detachment at their recent series of town hall meetings in Meota, Battleford. and Denholme. She said it was great to get out and answer questions from the public.

“The more information that we can get out about the services we provide the better,” Holt said. ”It’s also nice to meet people face to face outside of the office and give them details of what we provide.”

Battlefords Victim Services operates out of the Battlefords detachment of the RCMP on 101st St. Volunteers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week when necessary, though the organization typically operates Monday through Friday.

 

roger.white@jpbg.ca

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