Victim Services of Grey, Bruce and Owen Sound is encouraging everyone to “Find the Way Together.”
It’s the theme for this year’s national Victims of Crime Awareness Week, which runs until Saturday.
Manger of Victim Services, Anne Elliot, says the focus this week is to get the community involved.
She says when somebody is victimized through a crime, they’re not the only person who is affected – it becomes an issue for police services, for family members, friends and neighbours.
Elliot says it’s important the victim have a support network, and Victim Services can be the link to other resources needed in the community, or have someone who will listen to the needs of the victim.
Grey County OPP Constable Steve Starr says it’s a mandate of the Ontario Police Services Act that police services be able to assist victims.
Starr says before the province started funding organizations 20 years ago, it was very difficult to provide the help victims of crime needed.
Victim Services volunteers are called by police at the time of a crime, whether it be something like a break and enter or an extreme domestic assault.
Information is also left with the victims in case they don’t want the service at first.
