The Colorado State Patrol's Victims' Assistance Unit has received the 2006 National Award for Professional Innovation In Victim Services, Colonel Mark Trostel, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), announced July 25.
The award, which United States Attorney General
Alberto R. Gonzales authorized, was presented as part of the National Crime Victim's Rights Week to honor victim advocates, organizations and programs working in the area of victim services.
"The Victims' Assistance Unit at the CSP was created in 1990 and was the first such unit in the country to be part of a state highway patrol organization," said Colonel Trostel. "We take great pride in receiving national recognition for our program director and her six full-time advocates serving victims of unexpected and violent traffic crimes throughout Colorado."
"The CSP advocates are on call 24/7 and have received extensive training in victim services, crisis intervention and critical incident stress management," said
Dolores Mitchell, Director of the CSP Victim's Assistance Unit. "We provide services to victims of traffic crashes who have been overlooked and underserved and not recognized as victims of a crime."
Each of the victims' advocates are assigned to one of the CSP's districts and include:
Betzy Bicknase/Castle Rock;
Jane Kay/Colorado Springs;
Linda Hunter/Greeley;
Bill Brown/Alamosa;
Kristen Foust/Grand Junction and
Kristina Rutter/Broomfield, as well as
Sunny Bean of the CSP Academy staff who serves as a staff assistant.
"Our program is an integral resource within the CSP and is one of only three highway patrols in the United States serving victims of unexpected and violent traffic crimes in this manner," Mitchell pointed out.
"Because of Colorado's level of tourism, many of the victims we serve are not residents and don't have family or friends nearby for support. "Previously, these individuals did not have acceptable access to needed victim services," said Mitchell. "When arriving at the scene of a crash, a victim advocate does not know if criminal charges will be filed or if the victims will be subject to the specific protections afforded by Colorado's Victims Rights Act. From the beginning, CSP has made it a priority to serve every crash victim with the same standard of excellence, applying victims' rights standards to every crash and every situation."
Individuals who helped the CSP Victim's Assistance Unit members attend the ceremony in Washington, D.C., include:
John Horan,
Chuck Bowman and
Daren Forbes of Horan & McConaty Funeral Services of Lakewood;
Sean,
Maria,
CLJ. and
Chrysanthy McAfee of Evergreen;
Kirk Ellis of Ellis Funeral Services of Highlands Ranch;
Kevin Wolfe of Stoddard Funeral Home;
Thomas Hunn and
Diana Hall of Thomas Hunn Jewelers, Grand Junction;
Ron Aronson, Coconut Creek, FL;
Stan Shapiro, Los Angles;
Donna Knight of Hyatt Hotels & Resorts Omaha Reservation Center;
Mary Jo Rakowski of Mother's Against Drunk Drivers, Durango; and the San Luis Valley Peace Officer Association.
In 2005, the CSP victims' advocates provided direct services to more than 3,100 victims and family members. These included providing on-scene crisis intervention, care for injured pets, lodging for uninjured passengers, transportation for out-of-state family members, and assistance to school principals and counselors of young victims. Members of the CSP Victims' Assistance Unit are well educated in victims' rights and bring a sense of integrity into situations in which victims must feel confident that they will be taken care of.