HISTORY

The Victim’s Advocate position arose from a coordinated, multi-agency effort across Cherokee County to expand the current work of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office to include a Victim Advocate responding to all victims of violent crime, including but not limited to, sexual assault, family violence, death, and hate crimes.  The Victim Advocate effectively protects and supports victims of crime, beginning at the scene of the crime and following through until the end of the investigation, court process and follow-ups.  These services include, but are not limited to, 24-hr availability for on-the-scene crisis counseling, dissemination of information of all local resources, court accompaniment, medical accompaniment, victim transportation and follow-up interviews with the victim. 

This project was supported with sub-grant funding awarded by the National Sheriff's Association under a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice (Grant Number 2002-VF-GX-K003).  Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice or the National Sheriff's Association.

VICTIM ADVOCATE RESPONSE TEAM UNIT
The Victim Advocate Response Team Unit was established to meet the high demand of Victim Advocacy after regular business hours. Each team member is trained to provide immediate on-scene services to victims of violent crime and responds for all local law enforcement agencies. The Unit is further equipped with vehicles, pagers, radios, cameras, and information on local resources so that a seamless response to the victim is possible.   

The Victim Advocate Unit also coordinates Neighborhood Watch programs throughout the county, as requested. For more information on any of the services provided by this Response Team Unit, please call 837-2589 and ask for Stephanie Thompson (ext 249.)

CONTACT US
For more information, contact Brandi Watkins at 828-837-2589 or by email.