Rarely do officers work alone through investigations as we have various other partner groups and agencies that work with us. Little Bear is one of those partners as it is a division of the Lloydminster Sexual Assault Services.
The Little Bear Child and Youth Advocacy Centre in the City of Lloydminster is one group of people the city and surrounding communities are so lucky to have. This partner agency is extremely valuable as we work with them on many investigations where children or youths are survivors of abuse and/or violence.
When a report involving the abuse of a child or youth is received, Little Bear is immediately considered and most often incorporated into the investigation. This is an awesome place in that everything they do is to support the survivors and their families. Right from entering the centre it is inviting and welcoming with the intention to put families at ease as they are going through a very challenging time.
The staff at Little Bear are trained and have the desire to help. The RCMP detachment works very close with the centre as our Child Forensic Interviewers consult with the staff and we conduct our interviews there. These interviews are where survivors can tell their story in a non-threatening and supportive environment. The specially trained officers are a key component of the process as they recognize the trauma involved in survivors reliving the incident(s) and work in a respectful way causing the least amount of stress as possible.
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Every room is child and youth orientated and each hallway and room is decorated and designed with support and comfort in mind. This assists the well-being of the families through the investigation and court process which can be daunting and extremely stressful.
RCMP officers interviewing child victims are required to be specially trained so that interviews are conducted in a scientifically sound way that is accepted by the courts. A key goal is to minimize any re-victimization of the survivor while at the same time leading the family through what had happened providing them support which promotes healing and understanding.
Many specifics are taken into consideration of each case as the centre’s staff tailor their response to best suit the families and caregivers. At times, it is someone with the family or caregivers that are the accused and this factor is also imparted into their response.
Little Bear also facilitates meetings between families, survivors and Crown Attorneys to aid in investigations and in preparation for court proceedings. Everything about Little Bear, the interviewers and all follow up keeps the survivor in the forefront.
This is one of the most important partnerships that the Lloydminster Detachment has and my words here do not do it justice.
Little Bear receives operating funding, mostly grants, but also accepts donations and they sell Little Bear Books to raise funds as they assist families with some smaller costs from time to time.
Little Bear is; where every child has a voice and every child’s voice matters!
Read more: Behind The Bison – Feeney Warrants
