ACWORTH POLICE DEPARTMENT Advocating for Victims of Crime

BY JESSE EVANS

I am excited to announce a new initiative at the Acworth Police Department. We are continuously seeking ways to improve the service we provide to our community, so, with our City Council’s approval, we have added a full-time victim advocate to our team.

Victim advocates fill an essential role within the criminal justice system. They are trained specifically to support victims of crime and abuse and to provide leadership and guidance that enables police department staff also to assist victims. These vital personnel are uniquely equipped with the training and compassion to provide those in need with emotional support, victims’ rights information, assistance in obtaining needed resources and guidance navigating the judicial system during criminal proceedings. Additionally, victim advocates are able to act as liaisons between the police department and a variety of partner organizations that assist victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse and opioid abuse.

Our new victim advocate is Emily Hall, who began her career with the Acworth Police Department as an intern while she was a student at Kennesaw State University. After graduating with a degree in forensic behavioral science, she was hired by our department as a records technician. However, her true desire was to work as a victim advocate, a position that wasn’t funded and didn’t exist when she first came to us.

After leaving our agency, Hall worked for LiveSafe Resources in Marietta, an outstanding organization that provides services to victims of crime. Our department works closely with LiveSafe, and we are grateful for the services it provides. Hall loved working there, but when the Acworth Police Department opened a new full-time position for a victim advocate, she knew her hometown was where she wanted to be. We are so grateful to have her as a member of our team, and we know she will provide outstanding service to our community — a service many other police agencies cannot offer fully. We also hope you will join us in thanking our outstanding City Council and city leadership team for enabling us to provide a dedicated victim advocate for our community.

In the past, the detectives in our criminal investigations division provided as much assistance to crime victims as possible. Now, with a dedicated advocate on staff, we will have the capability to provide even better service to the public, as well as to our many community partners. Ultimately, adding a victim advocate will allow our agency to take community policing to the next level. Our staff is committed to bettering the community through collaborative partnerships that seek to improve the quality of life for all. We hope to see other agencies follow this trend and make victims a priority as they face incredibly challenging situations.

Chief Jesse Evans has served more than 20 years as a prosecutor and law enforcement professional. He is a native of Acworth and knows there is no better place to live, work and play.