EPS victim services volunteers resign over centralization
‘You have people who want to volunteer in their own backyards,’ team leader says
Two soon-to-be former volunteers with the Edmonton Police Service’s Victim Services Unit (VSU) are speaking out about a decision to move the units out of the city’s community police stations.
As of Jan. 1, all of the city’s volunteer victim advocates will be based out of the police service’s Nexus building in northwest Edmonton. Police officials say the move will improve services for people affected by crime and tragedy.
But five victim advocates, two of whom spoke on the record, told Postmedia that experienced volunteers have left or plan to leave over the decision.
“It still is an internal struggle,” said Krista Brower, a team leader with the southeast division unit, who is leaving next month.
“My initial thought was, ‘What is going to happen with our victims who are looking for that support?’ And the second thought was, ‘Am I going to even be able to contribute, to stay on in this role, simply because it is so far from where I live?’ ”
Until recently, Edmonton’s roughly 180 victim advocates were based out of the city’s six police stations. The volunteers work with victims of crime, providing them with emotional support, resources and help navigating the court system.
That work can be traumatizing. Members of the unit’s Major Incident Response Team can be called out at any time, in some cases to active homicide scenes to help survivors, Brower said. Some volunteers are in touch with victims years after a crime.
Ann Homer Delveris, a team leader who has volunteered with the south Edmonton units since 2006, said she knows of 10 colleagues — including herself — who are leaving.
She felt “stunned” when volunteers were told about the plan to centralize the service at a meeting in September.
“There’s so much uncertainty about how they’re going to roll this model out,” she said, adding the result will be “poorer service” for victims.
She worries about victims not being able to access the same services at their neighbourhood police stations, as well as the working relationships between local police officers and advocates that will be lost.
South Edmonton volunteers were also concerned about the commute to the new location.
“You have people who want to volunteer in their own backyards in their own community, and have been doing so,” Brower said.
She works downtown and lives in south Edmonton and said the move would add hours to her commute.
In a statement last month, Insp. Trent Forsberg said integrating the units will allow for a “depth of service that simply cannot be provided from six remote locations.”
He said the majority of victim services are offered by phone, through the mail or by appointment, adding that victims can still arrange meetings with advocates at a neighbourhood police station.
The new location will also have longer hours and will be open a total of 70 hours per week versus 40 hours a week in the divisions.