WASHINGTON — DC Police officers want the community to grab a coffee with them this week and have a conversation about crime victim resources.
For National Crime Victims' Rights Week, they've been posting up at Starbucks throughout the District with the goal of 1) building positive relationships with neighbors, and 2) making sure they know what services are available if they ever become a victim of a crime.
The Victim Services Branch has been around for nearly two decades, according to Victims Specialist Ashley McHenry, but she said she's heard from people all week that they didn't it existed.
“I think the biggest disconnect is the lack of education about the available resources. And that's why a community event like today, coffee and conversation with a cop, is so crucial," she said.
McHenry has worked in this role since 2016 -- but she felt the call to give back from a young age.
“When I was five years old, my family was the victim of homicide," she said. "And so ever since then, I knew I wanted to be in a field where I was making an impact and helping people.”
At Thursday's event at a northwest DC Starbucks, McHenry met another woman who said her niece was a victim of gun violence. She said she struggled to receive supportive services afterward.
McHenry said to get in touch with the unit, so one of their approximately 12 specialists could look into the case and connect her with the array of resources available through the government and community groups.
“We …provide a lot of emotional support, which is a big piece of it," McHenry said. "And we provide safety planning. We're a liaison between the victim and the detective. And we also provide them with access to the Crime Victims Compensation Program."
She said one of the pervasive issues they see is access to emergency -- and then long-term housing after a violent incident.
That's why they've also partnered with local non-profits that focus on housing services.
"Housing is one of the biggest resources that is always needed. Because if it's a shooting case, they want to leave the neighborhood. If it's a domestic violence situation, they want to be able to relocate themselves and their children to a safe place. And unfortunately, sometimes that's not always available," McHenry said.
When asked how the branch supports victims in a way that prevents them from later becoming perpetrators of a crime, McHenry said, "There are lots of therapeutic and mental health services available for victims of crime, which we know research shows us can have a major impact in their trauma recovery, and in their ability to move forward and live a productive, healthy, law abiding life after a crime like that has occurred to them. So we really try to push those services as much as possible, because they are free, they are covered by different resources."
Regardless of what resource McHenry's team is able to deliver, she said it's how she delivers it that matters most.
“Just one or two moments of kindness can really make a difference," she said. "So I think treating everyone with integrity, with respect is so crucial, especially at a time like this where they felt violated.”
The last Coffee and Conversation with a Cop is Friday morning 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Starbucks at 625 H Street NE.