“A little more than five years ago, I had the privilege of playing a very small role in creating a space where survivors of traumatic crime could work with police in compassionate surroundings, reflective not only of a trauma-aware police department but also a trauma-aware community.
“The space is called a soft interview room and ours is the first ever created in the state of West Virginia. I continue to believe that ours is also one of the finest in the country,” said Brian McAllister, attorney and member of the board of directors for the Rape & Domestic Violence Information Center (RDVIC).
The Judy King Soft Interview Room, named in honor of the former executive director of RDVIC who served as a champion for survivors of domestic and sexual violence for more than 35 years, has been used by the Morgantown Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to interview survivors of traumatic crime since its opening on April 5, 2017.
On Tuesday, West Virginia Delegate Evan Hansen presented the MPD and RDVIC with a $2,000 check secured through the Local Economic Assistance Grant Fund to be sure that the room will continue to be a meaningful place for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, as well as victims of traumatic crime, for years to come.
“This is the kind of effort that makes me proud to represent Morgantown and Mon County. When I think about issues like this, I have to reflect on the tragedy of the continuum of sexual assault and domestic violence that so many people in our community have to deal with all too often,” Hansen said.
“But it’s also wonderful to see the community come together in a way like this — in a way that’s compassionate and supportive of the victims but that also supports law enforcement so that they can do their jobs as best that they can and bring justice to the perpetrators.”
RDVIC Executive Director Alexia Jennings said the room was a reflection of the continued support and contributions to support survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
“It started with a vision from [Detective] Troy Ball, Sergeant Larry Hasley, and Brian McAllister. With the collaboration and support from Judy King and the MPD it became a reality — giving a safe space to survivors to tell their stories and to ensure that as a community we are providing trauma-informed, victim-centered services to survivors in Mon County,” she said.
Hansen said the room is a good example of how people can work together from different parties, at the state and local level, private sector, and nonprofits to do good in the community.
The room, the creation of which has not used any public money to create, McAllister said, is set up to feel like a living room, complete with couches, coffee table, pillows and drapery.
“Imagine for a moment going to the police station to talk with a detective and report a crime only to be interviewed in the same small, uncomfortable room that a suspect is interviewed in for well over an hour,” said Carl Flegler RDVIC sexual assault response team coordinator for Mon County. “For many police stations this is the reality; it is their only option. As I have sat in the soft interview room with survivors, many have commented this is not what they expected when they came to the police department. It’s those subtle comforts — even just sitting on a couch — that give them the emotional space to continue telling their story.”
MPD Chief Eric Powell said the department is proud to have the interview room and equally proud of the initiative taken by the officers to take a newer idea that only a few departments had tried and make it happen.
“Both Officer Ball and Sergeant Hasley were very keen on the idea and thought it was a great opportunity for us to be on the leading edge when it comes to thinking about the victim a little bit,” Powell said. “I think there is a lot of emphasis on law enforcement and there is not a lot of attention paid to the value of thinking about the victim when you’re dealing with crime, especially crime that involves the kind of physical and emotional trauma that sexual assault victims experience.”
Since its opening, 305 interviews have been conducted in the Judy King Soft Interview Room — 107 of those interviews just last year.
McAllister said other law enforcement agencies have also benefited from the room, including a NCIS agent from Honolulu, Hawaii, who came to investigate a sexual assault in his jurisdiction on a service member living here in Morgantown. The agent was reportedly very impressed with the room.
Judy King, the room’s namesake, was very pleased to see the room serving its purpose and beyond. “It’s really nice to see the room five years later and know how much it has been used, and it’s been used not just for sexual assault and domestic violence victims but for other victims of trauma, so that’s really great.”
The check presented yesterday by Hansen will be used exclusively for maintenance of the room. According to Ball, everything in the room has a purpose, so if a pillow is destroyed or something needs to be replaced, this money can be used to replace it immediately.
TWEET @DominionPostWV
