Santa Maria Police Department unveils ‘soft room’ to help comfort crime victims
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Santa Maria Police Department officially unveiled a place within its station on Thursday morning that has been created to help comfort crime victims.
Called a "soft room," the secure and private space is an area where police may take people after they have been victimized by a crime or have gone through a traumatic situation.
"It's just them allowing a space for where victims and families of victims of violent crime can be placed," said Santa Maria Police Chief Marc Schneider. "Conversations and interviews can be conducted to hopefully put them in an area where they feel comfortable."
Before the soft room was created, victims spoke to investigators in the same places where suspects were also questioned.
"We just wanted them to feel like they're not going to be revictimized," said Schneider. "(An interview rooms) is very sterile. It's typically a table, two chairs and paint it walls. It's the complete opposite where you want to put them at ease, make them comfortable, and kind of build that rapport, and the setting is key to building that rapport. You can't put somebody in a a difficult space and ask them to open up and be comfortable."
To help victims feel more comfortable, the soft room is furnished like a home, complete with soft couches and chairs, plus pillows, blankets, artwork and other comforting amenities.
"It is a space that feels comfortable and homey," said Megan Rheinschild, Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office Victim Witness Assistance Program Director. "It just creates an opening for individuals to feel a little more comfortable, even in a time of great crisis. That first contact with law enforcement can be so pivotal in terms of framing and shaping the experience of the victim and their willingness to cooperate and their openness to getting services, their ability to work with an advocate who is here at the Santa Maria Police and can shepherd them through the process."
Santa Maria Police, along with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, hosted an opening event for the room on Thursday to coincide with National Crime Victims' Rights Week, which is being observed this year April 21-27.
The annual event is held by the National Office for Victims of Crime as a way to honor crime victims and survivors, recognize the professionals and volunteers who provide critical services to victims of crime, and raise awareness about crime victims’ rights and services.
"I think it's important for the community to acknowledge the rights of victims within the criminal justice system and what is available to them if they choose to engage in this way," said Rheinschild. "Unfortunately, unless you've been part of the criminal justice system in this way, you might not know that there's a whole, complement of rights available to victims, and that's what the week tries to highlight are not only those rights, but also the services that are available. If someone does come forward to report a violent crime.
All of the furniture in the soft room was donated by Sergio's Furniture And Mattress, a longtime business in downtown Santa Maria.
"He's been a great supporter of the police department," said Schneider. "He doesn't have to do any of this, but he's very generous, and he said, I want to be able to support the center of our police department and victims."
