OpEd By: CCSO Captain Sean Sanborn – I was fully asleep when my phone rang, it was about 1130 at night. It always irritates my wife when the phone rings late at night so I try to be fast about answering it. I glanced at the number, it was not one I recognized, but it was not a spam call, they usually call much earlier in the day. When I answered the phone to the frantic voice on the other end, I immediately recognized it. This person was a victim of a heinous, violent crime which I had investigated. The investigation is long complete and the criminal is sitting in prison as I write this today. However, the damage done to this person is lasting, persistent, and horrifying. You see, it was a horrible anniversary of when the incident occurred. The feelings of fear, paranoia and despair had bubbled to the surface and this person wanted to hear a voice of someone who could help. I guess, I was that guy. This is one of those cases, I cannot forget. I worked on it for several months, served search warrants and ultimately made an arrest which resulted in a conviction. If I am to be honest with you, most of the cases I work, I don’t dwell on after the case is done. There are so many, I just can’t. This case sticks out to me due to the violence which was imposed on the victim. I cannot provide any more detail on this case out of a desire to protect the victim, but it was bad. This is one of several cases where a person has been victimized and has to live with what happened to them. Post traumatic stress is real for everyone and it is particularly real for the victim I described above. No one wants to be classified as a “victim”. We see and hear a lot of talks about not letting oneself be a victim, or take the “victim mentality” but I think the use of the word victim is a misnomer in these circumstances, we aren’t talking about the same thing. There are times when a person is hurt and there is nothing they could have done about it. An out of the blue car crash is a good example. One is driving along and all of a sudden, they are hit from the side when they had the right of way. The same holds true for violent crime. The wake of this violence stays imprinted on that person, the victim, until they come to terms with what occurred. I do understand and agree with not letting oneself become a victim. There is much a person can do to prevent themselves from being the victim of a crime. I refer to this as making yourself a “hard target”. Easy targets are targets of opportunity. There are several things which come to mind to make yourself a hard target. Being aware of your surroundings is a good first start. What kind of area are you in? Are there places to park which gives you easy or quick access to doors, or are under exterior cameras? How many entrances or exits are there to a building? Is there a location one could sit which would allow someone to keep one eye on those entrances or exits? Are the doors locked to your home, even when you are home? Do you have a family plan which is in place and practiced in the event of an emergency? Consider a self defense course of some kind. Personal protection is important. Some folks are inclined to carry firearms and perhaps have a concealed handgun license. If one does carry a handgun, do they know how to use it? Does that person practice with the gun so they are a proficient marksman? Do you know the laws which govern the deadly use of force? Several steps can be taken to harden a location as well. I touched on keeping doors locked. But good lighting around your home is a great deterrent. Cameras are also a good deterrent to crime and violence. I also really like those remote alarms which tells a person when a person or vehicle is coming down a driveway if you have a long driveway. These are just some of the things you can do to prevent yourself from being a victim of violence. But what about the folks who, despite everything, become a victim of violent crime. There are resources available, but in our pocket of the world, most of them involve calling a hot line or something of the like. After a case has been brought forward for prosecution there is a program which is ran out of the District Attorney’s Office called Crime Victim’s Assistance. This program is geared towards the victims of crime. This program will provide up to $20,000 for medical and/ or counseling expenses. It will also provide the same amount for grief counseling for folks who are left behind after the violent death of a loved one. It will assist with funeral expenses, physical rehabilitation, and several types of counseling. This is a great program for victims of crimes. Still, I feel like more can be done. Of course, all of these services are contingent upon the victim accepting help. There is a stigma about mental health which is difficult to overcome. I have recently reached out to our community partners at Coos Health and Wellness to open a discussion regarding this topic. But it is important for folks to know that there is life after being a victim of a crime. The story is not over yet for the survivors of violence. The survivor just only needs to remember that they are not a victim any longer, they are a survivor. Words matter, and survival connotates strength, resiliency and endurance in the fight. If you are a survivor and you are struggling with the wake of violence, I encourage you to reach out. Support is available and there are folks who want to help. In the meantime, take care of one another and take care of yourselves. I hope your Thanksgiving is turkey filled and family warmed.
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