Volunteers sought on 30th anniversary year of LPS Victim/Witness Services Unit
LETHBRIDGE, AB – This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Lethbridge Police Victim/Witness Services Unit, and the crew is looking for volunteers.
Program Manager Catherine Pooley explained that volunteers provide “acute trauma-informed care for people in the midst of a crime or a tragedy.” That means police can call the unit out to the scene of an emergency and members can offer support to people who are victims of or witnessed a tragedy.
Pooley told LNN, “we can then provide them [with], sort of, that bridge of care that connects them to community resources, helps them navigate through the criminal justice process – which can be super hard and confusing for people when they’re not familiar with it – and make sure that they have all the information they need to be able to navigate that time safely.”
Typically, the unit strives to have about 60 volunteers. Currently, they’re looking to fill 15 to 20 positions. Pooley said the COVID-19 pandemic has created a challenge in that recruitment drive for volunteers.