Cyndi Robinson Cook slides into her office in Newton Police Station. It’s a tiny room wedged between the courtroom and investigator’s offices, made even smaller by the desk and large file cabinets that take up much of the precious space.
Cook is the Victim’s Assistance Coordinator for Newton, and the rest of Newton County, a relatively new position and a lot of work for a department of one.
“They started this program a few years ago, and they revamped it,” she said. “I think at first it was under the Department of Transportation. Now, it’s under the Department of Health.”
Funded by a grant received by the City of Newton, the Victim’s Assistance Coordinator is responsible for helping victims get the help they need. Well, Cook said, the program operates under the Victims of Crimes Act and is intended to help victims of violent crimes. However, Newton County is so small, she helps all victims.
“We do any victim of a crime, if they’re needing assistance,” she said. “I come in and explain to them what services are available to them based on the program.”
Cook said she helps everyone from victims of child and domestic abuse to people hit by drunk drivers and everyone in between. At the first meeting, she said, she first explains to the victim they have the right to the care and help they need. Then, she helps them get it.
“Most people don’t realize they do have rights,” she said. “As a victim they have rights, and we try to explain to them what those rights are.”
The grant also paid for a vehiacle, Cook said, which is used to transport victims to medical appointments, shelters or wherever else they need to go. For instance, Wesley House performs the forensic interviews in child abuse cases and physical examinations have to be done in Jackson. In many cases a victim may not have access to a vehicle or be scared to make the trip alone. In those circumstances, Cook uses her SUV to take them.
“And it’s large enough that you can transport a family, whether it’s a father and children or a mother and children,” she said. “We have some car seats.”
Cook’s job doesn’t stop with a check-up though. She remains in contact with victims throughout the process, helping them get to court, supporting them through dispositions and explaining the legal process. Although her office is in a police station, she said it should be clear she is not a police officer. Her duty is to help the victim.
And, while she hasn’t been called to testify in a case as of yet, Cook said if a victim needed her, she would only be a call away.
“It can be a dangerous job,” she said. “It hasn’t been so far, but there was some potential for it to be dangerous.”
Helping domestic violence victims escape, sheltering victims of human trafficking and caring for abused children can put someone in harms way pretty quickly, Cook said. However, she said the law enforcement agencies in Newton County help keep her and those in her care safe.
In addition to helping victims, Cook said she is also training. Multiple times a week, she said, she participates in webinars – online seminars – to learn new skills: how to identify a victim of elderly abuse, signs of child abuse, how to let a victim know help is out there without making things worse for them.
“Doctor’s offices, they see a lot of these abuse patients,” she said. “They’re hands are tied because of doctor-patient confidentiality. They can’t do anything. They can’t tell anybody. I pass of my card and say, ‘Here. If you have a victim, tell them a little bit about what I do. Give them my number.’”
Cook also visits schools and civic organizations throughout the county, with a goal of 15 visits per year, educating people on what to look for and what to do if it happens to them.
“If it does happen, get a bag, leave a bag at a friend or family members house, make copies of your marriage license, your driver’s license, your credit cards, so you can cancel those and get them resent to you somewhere else.”
No one wants to think they could be a victim, Cook said, but it can happen to anyone. Her job, she said, is to get victims the tools they need to become survivors.
“There’s a difference between a victim and a survivor,” she said. “A victim remains a victim. A survivor survives the incident and tries to move forward with their lives.”
