Detectives now on-site at Family Support Center of South Sound

Detectives from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office are on-site at the Family Support Center of South Sound one day a week, offering assistance to domestic violence victims.

Detectives will be at the center, located at 201 Capitol Way N in Olympia, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. The Family Support Center can be reached at 360-754-9297.

The two agencies have long been partners, working alongside the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office in the Family Justice Center, said Trish Gregory, executive director of the Family Support Center. But having a detective on-site will make a big difference, allowing domestic violence survivors to report abuse without having to drive to the police station.

“It reduces the number of times that a survivor will have to tell their story,” Gregory said.

Sgt. Carla Carter, of the Sheriff’s Office, said deputies frequently respond to domestic violence calls — often at the same homes over and over. The goal, she said, is that having detectives at the Family Support Center will help to break that pattern.

“We have a responsibility to the community to try and stop that cycle,” Carter said. “We hope that being down there and actively participating will help.”

All of the detectives at the Sheriff’s Office are part of a rotation, taking turns staffing the Family Support Center. This helps each detective become familiar with the services available at the center, and throughout Thurston County, Carter said.

This experience will allow detectives to tailor their responses to different situations, recommending various services depending on the victim, Carter said.

However, no one is required to speak with detectives while visiting the Family Support Center, Gregory said. Services are voluntary — no one is forced to use any of them, she explained.

Since detectives began working at the Family Support Center on Feb. 1, a few survivors have already taken advantage of the relationship and made reports to detectives, Gregory said.

“We are very pleased to have them on-site,” Gregory said.

This story was originally published March 31, 2017 at 2:38 PM with the headline "Detectives now on-site at Family Support Center of South Sound."