Victim Advocates Help Survivors Navigate Life After Crime

While deputies work to put together the pieces when a crime is committed, who helps the survivors put their own pieces back together?

National Crime Victim’s Week (April 22-28) promotes victims’ rights and honors crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf, according to the Office of Justice Programs website.

Among those are Pasco’s own victim advocates.

Under the umbrella of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the agency’s four advocates work regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. days, then rotate weeklong 24/7 call duty, serving the sheriff’s office as well as the Florida Highway Patrol and the county’s police departments, with the exception of the New Port Richey Police Department, which has its own advocates on staff.

With so many departments relying on them, that can often mean a heavy workload.

Gina Dean is one of those advocates. Mid-morning or middle of the night, if an officer calls from the scene of a major crime, she’s there to provide the victim or victim’s family with the tools they need to move forward.

They also review case reports daily to offer services when they’re not called to a crime scene.

“Basically, (we provide) crisis intervention from the beginning,” Dean said.

Helping victims deal with a tragedy immediately is crucial “because they don’t know what end is up,” Dean said.

At the scene of a crime, survivors are devastated, scared, confused.

“In a homicide, they’re lost,” Dean said.

The advocate’s presence there is just the beginning of the relationship they will develop over time—often years, she said.

“I tell people in deaths, ‘I’m going to be with you guys for the long haul because you’re not going to remember a word I’m saying right now,’ ” Dean said.

Dean helps victims with funeral arrangements, social services referrals and guides them through the trial process.

“People who have never been in a courtroom before, they have no idea what to do,” Dean said. “We’re there from start to finish, from the crime scene to the trials.”

The advocates go to every hearing, with or without the victims they represent, Dean said. And anytime they’re interviewed or deposed, “we go everywhere with them.”

Dean and her fellow advocates also act as liaisons between families and detectives.

The advocate’s job “isn’t to enable victims, it’s to empower them,” Dean said. “When I hear people say ‘I couldn’t do this without you,’ my main thing is ‘Yes you could, I just gave you the tools.’ ”

Dean has worked with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office for 21 years, the first 14 as a warrants clerk, she said. Seven years ago, the victim advocate position was advertised, and she felt it was a good fit for her.

“I like to pay it forward,” she said. When people ask how she copes surrounded so often by tragedy, she tells them it’s because if she were ever in such a situation, she hopes someone will be there for her.

“I’m caring, but I’m not going to tell you it’s going to be OK, because it’s not,” she said. “It’s going to be different. You have to find ways to cope.”

She finds her own ways to cope, as well. Middle of the night treadmill runs are necessary sometimes.

"And I fish whenever I can," Dean said.

Family members of homicide victims have told her that the one good thing that came out of their loved one’s death was bringing her to them, Dean said.

It doesn’t make the job easier, but it makes it worthwhile.

“I really, really love what I do,” Dean said.