Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Victim Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
South Carolina Victim Assistance Network awards 'Safe' forensic‑assault designation to Laurens City police
Summary
At a Laurens City Council meeting, Sabrina Gast of the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network presented a voluntary forensic‑assault 'Safe' designation to the Laurens City Police Department and described the statewide training-and-recognition program and its partner agencies.
Sabrina Gast, representing the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network, presented a forensic‑assault “Safe” designation to the Laurens City Police Department during the Laurens City Council meeting. The designation recognizes agencies that complete specialized training and take extra steps to ensure victims of sexual assault receive appropriate, coordinated care.
Gast said SCVAN was formed in 1985 to support victims and victim‑service providers and that, in 2019, SCVAN hosted the state’s first forensic nurse examiner task force meeting with partners including the Attorney General’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the South Carolina Hospital Association. “The forensic excellence designation is a voluntary program that is overseen by SCVAN and our forensic team,” Gast said, describing a training the network offers to hospitals, law enforcement, EMS and fire personnel.
According to presenters, fewer than 10 law‑enforcement agencies in the state have received the designation, which is optional and intended to highlight organizations that go “above and beyond the normal call of duty” to support assault survivors. Amanda White, introduced by Gast as a program speaker, described the training and the partners who back the designation.
The presiding official thanked the presenters and said the recognition was an honor for the city and its police department. The council accepted the certificate and applauded the department’s staff for completing the program.
The designation does not create new legal requirements, presenters said; it is a voluntary recognition and public‑relations tool designed to inform community members that a participating agency has completed SCVAN’s training and coordination standards. Funding sources and continuing obligations tied to the designation were not specified at the meeting.
