Hamilton Police commemorate victims and survivors of crime

Domestic violence continues to be at the centre of the work done by the Hamilton Police Victim Services Branch.

That’s why a spotlight has been put on the voices of those with lived experience, as part of the annual victims and survivors of crime week.

The theme is “empowering resilience.”

Victim Services Branch Administrator, Susan Double says there are often barriers to seeking help.

“It can take many times before somebody will come forward, but it can be overwhelming” she said.

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“You’ve got children involved and finances and cultural barriers.”

Cathy Watts says for her, the first step was understanding what she was experiencing.

Resilience was learned.

It wasn’t until two Hamilton Police officers gave her a pamphlet on the subject, that she made the connection, but by that time she says she was in crisis.

“I stay true to my belief that if I had understood what was happening, I might have been able to come up with a plan of action that would not have necessitated, maybe, perhaps, entering a shelter.”

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Watts said in the years that followed, she accessed numerous support services, from Inasmuch House, to Interval House and the Good Shepherd Sage camp, where she met other women who shared similar experiences.

Since that time she has helped start a grassroots volunteer-based organization called 1 in 4, that provides peer support, education and the unique perspective of a survivor.

“We hope to be that middle ground where we can point people in a direction and say ‘you know you can trust these groups,’ ” Watts said.

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“We want to empower people to figure out what their choices are, prior to it being a crisis.”

1 in 4 offers education to groups to help them understand what friends, family members or employees could be struggling with.

The website is a portal to resources and survivor stories that hope to shed light on what constitutes an abusive relationship and what the 24/7 victim services team at Hamilton Police can do to help.

As part of victims and survivor of crime week, Hamilton police have re-dedicated two benches with a plaque that reads ‘forget me not’ to survivors like Cathy Watts.

“It’s really important for the police coming in everyday to this building remember why we’re here,” Double reflects.

“We’re here for victims and witnesses who have gone through traumatic events.”