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Homewood proclaims April Sexual Assault Awareness Month; Scribe Center describes local services and evidence work
Summary
Mayor Alex Wyatt issued a proclamation recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and representatives from the Scribe Center described their specialized clinic, forensic services and a county initiative that identified serial offenders, urging continued community support and funding.
Mayor Alex Wyatt read and presented a proclamation at the April 14 Homewood City Council meeting declaring April 2025 Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Homewood.
"Therefore, I, Alex Wyatt, mayor of the city of Homewood, do hereby proclaim April 2025 as [Sexual] Assault Awareness Month in our city," Wyatt said as he presented the proclamation to Scribe Center staff in the chamber.
A Scribe Center representative told the council the center provides prioritized, specialized care for people who have experienced sexual assault through a clinic staffed by sexual assault nurse examiners and an advocacy team. The presenter said the clinic has two exam rooms, two counseling rooms and nurses trained to gather forensic evidence, including infrared imaging used to document bruising.
At the meeting Scribe staff said the center provided medical care for 274 victims and survivors in the county last year and for 14 people from Homewood. The speaker also said the countywide sexual-assault-kit initiative has helped identify 88 serial rapists in Jefferson County through testing and investigative work.
The Scribe representative urged continued support for the center, noting federal funding has declined over recent years and some counties and centers in the state have closed. "If they make it to our clinic, we provide them with that service," the presenter said, describing the center's approach to prioritizing and reducing secondary trauma compared with emergency-room waits.
Council members thanked the Scribe team and Mayor Wyatt for the proclamation. Councilors and a doctor who spoke from the chamber praised the specialized training of the nurse examiners and the value of coordinated forensic testing and advocacy in improving long-term outcomes for survivors.
The council did not take any formal votes related to funding at the meeting; the proclamation was ceremonial and intended to raise awareness and recognize Scribe Center services.
