Screenshot from an LPS video promoting the Victim/Witness Services Unit. (Lethbridge Police Service)

By Justin Goulet

Volunteers sought on 30th anniversary year of LPS Victim/Witness Services Unit

Sep 26, 2021 | 7:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – This year marks the 30^th 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.

She noted the health crisis has also modified how members can offer support as at this time, they’re not actually attending the scene of a traumatic incident.

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“We’re really sort of trying to find our best options for people in having to navigate in a different way than we normally would have, so the biggest impact for us though has been that we have not been able to be directly on scene with victims and the way we are supporting people has been over the phone as opposed to in-person and that’s been a huge change for us during COVID.”

She said their volunteer group is “an incredible base of people”, with one member having been with the unit for over 20 years. Volunteers are expected to work two shifts per month. Normally, those shifts consist of 12-hour periods where the member is on-call. Within that 12-hour period, they work a two-hour office shift where they provide phone support to victims or witnesses. Due to the pandemic though, shifts currently consist of just the two-hour office work portion, at least twice a month, with schedules being built around the availability of volunteers.

Poster for the LPS Victim/Witness Services Unit. (Photo supplied by the Lethbridge Police Service)

Anyone interested in signing up would undergo extensive training. Pooley said, “there is a training period that happens over a couple of weeks in January to make sure that they’re all ready to be able to respond to those calls.”

Volunteers learn how trauma impacts people; they’re taught how to behave in a trauma-informed manner and can hear from community partners like the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre.

“We bring in a number of partners so that they can understand how we work and how we tie to the community and make sure that they understand how to best use the resources that are there.”

Those wishing to join the unit must be at least 18 years old, pass a background clearance with the Lethbridge Police Service and have a valid full Class 5 driver’s license.

Pooley remarked, “we’re just looking for the right kind of person, someone who’s got that willingness to give back and is really ready to be there when someone needs it.”

Applications are open until October 15, 2021 and more information about applying is available here.