Thanking an officer

In honor of “Thank an Officer Day” on September 19, Crook County Family Violence (CCFV) put together “survival kits” for each of the county’s law enforcement departments. The idea, says Sandy Stevens, director, was to recognize the vital role our local law enforcement plays – and the exemplary manner in which they play it.

Partnerships with law enforcement are vital for CCFV, Stevens says, for everything from domestic abuse cases to human trafficking.

“This was to show our appreciation for law enforcement for everything they do not only for our agency, but also for our victims of domestic violence,” she says.

“Our officers step up to the plate, they are being victim-centered, they’re taking care of our victims, they’re providing them resources and they’re contacting us. We are all working together as a team, and when we work together as a team, we have much better outcomes for our victims.”

The partnership between CCFV and law enforcement encompasses every agency within the county, Stevens says, from local police departments to the Sheriff’s Office to Wyoming Highway Patrol. All of them are needed in order for CCFV to do its job of providing safety to victims.

“Every call that they go out on for a domestic is a dangerous call, because they don’t know what to expect in these domestic violence calls. People’s emotions are heightened,” she says.

“Law enforcement are usually the ones that get that first call from a victim and law enforcement, time and time again, has gone out there and done exactly what they need to do.”

Stevens also wanted to recognize how open to building partnerships the law enforcement of Crook County has been. She travels a great deal for work, she says, and has seen for herself that this is not an advantage every family violence agency enjoys.

“We are blessed to have a really good team of law enforcement officers,” she says. It’s common for Stevens to sit down with law enforcement for a one-on-one discussion over strategies, ideas or even the ins and outs of state statute, she says.

“All of our officers make time for us,” she says. That, she explain, helps both sides understand the perspective of the other and keeps those partnerships strong.

This has been particularly important during the unusual events of 2020, Stevens says.

“With the pandemic going on, domestics here in Crook County have gone way up. With people being isolated at home, tempers start to rise and people start fighting amongst each other,” she explains.

“They’re getting called out more and more to domestics, and they’re not just little domestics. They’re domestics that involved a knife, strangulation, a gun – it is happening here. I don’t think people realize that.”

Since March, when the community entered a period of widespread self-isolation, Stevens says that domestic violence case numbers have doubled in Crook County.

It can be a thankless job to enforce the law, Stevens says, and our peace officers put themselves in harm’s way more often than the public may realize. This, she says, was why she was so keen to take the opportunity to offer some kudos for the excellent job our local officers do.

The survival kits were intended to be a light-hearted way to show recognition, Stevens says. They contained, for example, Mounds® for “the mound of work they do”, a Payday® candy bar “because they’re not doing it for the pay” and Lifesavers® to recognize all the lives that have been saved through their efforts.

Included in the kits was the following message: “Our definition of a hero is someone who protects our world and continues to make it a better place, despite having to see its darkest aspects every day. Our hero courageously puts on his or her badge each day and sacrifices more daily than most do in an entire lifetime. We see you, We appreciate you, and you truly are a hero!”