Shakopee Police Department 2024 Annual Report

VICTIM AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

By Barb Hedstrom, Victim and Community Services Coordinator

In addition to directly supporting victims of crime, the Shakopee Police Department’s Crime Victim Coordinator (CVC) serves the department in a variety of ways to ensure our services remain victim centered and community oriented. The Shakopee Police Department is fortunate to be one of just a few law enforcement agencies in Minnesota to have a full-time victim support staff person. Our CVC supports officers by following up with victims to educate them about their rights, resources, and the legal system, as well as provide them emotional support that many crime victims need after experiencing the trauma of a crime. The CVC trains each new Shakopee police officer on how they can assist crime victims in the immediate aftermath of a crime, such as: ■ Informing crime victims of the criminal court hearing process and what to expect ■ Giving an overview of the civil court processes the victim may become involved in ■ How to communicate with someone who is experiencing trauma ■ Providing community resources that may be helpful after someone has been the victim of a crime The CVC is also quite active in the Shakopee community. In 2024, the CVC engaged the community and participated in the following public outreach efforts: ■ Fraud and scam education at the Senior Expo, a local bank, and several senior housing campuses ■ Community celebrations and events including Night to Unite, Shakopee Community Assistance Carnival, Loaves and Fishes dinners, and the Special Olympic Polar Plunge and Torch Run ■ Coordinated community prevention and response teams such as the Scott County Sexual Assault Response Team, Scott County Prevention Coalition, and Scott County Community Health Improvement Plan ■ National Crime Victim Rights Week displays, presentations, and resource sharing

■ Promoting the Recovery Assistance Program that provides support for Shakopee residents seeking substance abuse treatment or supporting them in Shakopee sober living environments Being part of a public service organization that responds to all types of crimes, the CVC is instrumental in helping the police department learn about new resources to help crime victims. For example, several newer resources include: ■ The “Take It Down” service from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who can assist in the removal of online juvenile nude photographs ■ Family law resources around paternity, custody, divorce, etc. from LawHelpMN.org , Scott County law library, and MNCourts.gov ■ Information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on how to respond if your email or social media account gets hacked, including a list of recovery instructions for many social media providers The role of the Crime Victim Coordinator is ever evolving to help meet the needs of the Shakopee community. During 2024, the CVC had more than 419 contacts with crime victims; 92 contacts with criminal justice or victim service professionals; 206 community contacts or meetings; and 51 court hearings with or on behalf of crime victims.

CVC Barb Hedstrom talks with a community member following an online safety presentation.

In 2024, the CVC had:

victim contacts 419

contacts with other criminal justice or victim services professionals 92

community contacts or meetings 206

court hearings attended with or on behalf of crime victims 51

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