LPS Victim Services Unit dog Madison. (LPS VSU)

By David Opinko

LPS Victim Services resuming in-person calls Dec. 1, gearing up to train new recruits

Dec 1, 2021 | 5:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Those needing the support of victim services volunteers in Lethbridge are now able to meet them in person once again.

The Victim Services Unit (VSU) of Lethbridge Police Service is resuming the practice of attending calls and speaking to the victims of crime in person as of December 1, 2021.

Administrative Assistant Vicky Snider says, back in September, they had to shift to a phone and video-only service model due to higher COVID-19 case counts. That saw volunteers having to speak virtually with people after the initial incident.

As COVID numbers declined and more people got vaccinated, a return to normal was made possible.

“We did as best as we can following up with victims over the phone later, but it makes a huge difference when we can be with someone there and assist basically with immediate needs, right? If they need to be transported to the shelter, sometimes they need to phone family members. That’s something we were missing.”

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By being with the person on scene, the return to in-person calls means police officers are able to focus their attention on the investigation while VSU assists any victims.

Snider says they typically have around 60 volunteers at any given time, but due to normal circumstances and the volunteer nature of their work, they are down to about 40 currently.

That will soon change as VSU is anticipating bringing on 22 new recruits for training in the new year.

There will be an intensive training program running from January 12-22.

“We prepare them to be able to work in difficult situations where we provide trauma-informed supports to victims, so we do everything from talking about what trauma is, confidentiality, safety, then we discuss all kinds of situations that we deal with from sudden deaths, domestic violence, sexual assault.”

VSU has ongoing partnerships with several community groups that aid in the recruits’ training. The trainees take tours of the Chinook Regional Hospital emergency department and local funeral homes, among other activities.

By February, the recruits will be ready to respond to calls and support those in need.

More information on Lethbridge’s VSU can be found here.