Because
crime victims have special needs, the Columbia Police Department has a
specially trained group to shepherd them through their time of
difficulty.
Columbia
residents can receive help from members of the Victim Services Unit,
which offers crisis intervention, support, advocacy, resources,
referrals and follow-up assistance. Victims can receive help 24 hours a
day.
Victim
advocates, who provide immediate assistance, respond to a designated
location when requested by an on-scene supervisor. Additional advocates
are available if needed.
Meeting the victims’ needs
Crime
victims have many needs. The Victim Services Unit assists them in
accessing resources, providing emotional support and sharing information
about the case. Victims can also receive information about financial
assistance, including restitution and compensation. They are guaranteed
these rights through the Victim Rights Amendment. The Columbia Police
Department Victim Services Unit assists in providing these rights. By
not only assisting victims immediately after the crime, the Victim
Services Unit also makes sure victims are treated with respect. They
help them make the first steps to once again become healthy physically
and emotionally.
Even if
you are not a victim but know someone who is, you may need support as
well. If you have questions, call the Victim Services Unit at (803)
545-3503.
Victim and witness
reactions
The
initial shock following a crime, sudden death or other trauma is a harsh
and painful reality for everyone involved. Some normal reactions are:
- Shock
and disbelief; numbness
-
Unwanted memories
-
Anxiety or panic
-
Feeling “lost” or “out of it”
-
Irritability (angry or near tears)
-
Blaming or doubting oneself, thoughts like, "If only I had
…"
-
Nightmares; sleep disturbances
-
Feeling responsible for what happened
-
Loss of
appetite
|
- Anger
- Crying
for “no apparent reason”
-
Reliving the trauma (flashbacks)
-
Problems concentrating
-
Depression and sadness
- Losing
interest in activities previously enjoyed
-
Disruption of family life
-
Withdrawal or isolation
-
Unexplained
headaches, nausea, or physical pain
|
It is
possible to experience a normal life after a crime or tragedy. As most
people work through their feelings about the event, they begin to accept
that they did the best they could under the circumstances, and have
renewed energy to focus on their lives again.
Victims’ rights
Victims
and witnesses of crimes have a right to:
- Be treated
with fairness, respect and dignity, and to be free from
intimidation, harassment or abuse
- Be informed
about what steps can be taken for protection against intimidation
and harm
- Be kept
informed about various phases of their case, including the
investigation, charges filed, prosecution, trial, and sentencing
- Be present and
provide information and input -- written or in person -- into the
criminal justice process, especially at key points such as bond
hearings, plea-bargaining, bond reduction or modification,
sentencing and parole release hearings
- Restitution as
a condition of sentencing, or another civil remedy.
- The quick
return of their property used for evidence when it is no longer
needed
- Notification
from officials about an arrest, release of defendants, time and
location of legal proceedings and trials, continuances or delays in
trial proceedings, sentencing and parole hearings
- Be informed
about eligibility for victim compensation, when applicable, and the
right to be helped in completing application forms in a timely
manner, when applicable
- Employer
intercession (A person cannot be fired or displaced from a job for
participating in an investigation or court process)
- Information
about victim assistance and other community resources
- A quick and
fair resolution
- At the
discretion of the solicitor, to view all or a portion of the
pre-sentence report of the probation department
- Be informed of
the results of any HIV testing that is ordered and performed
Be accommodated by
the court when the jury returns a verdict 
