Clark County Sheriff’s Office nominated by Project Woman to receive 2022 Purple Ribbon Award

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office and its Intimate Crimes Unit Sergeant, Denise Jones, was nominated by Project Woman to receive the 2022 Purple Ribbon Award for Law Enforcement Partner of the Year by Theresa’s Fund, according to a release from the CEO of Project Woman, Katherine Eckstrand.

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“Project Woman and Clark County are fortunate that our Sheriff’s Office is so clearly invested in using best practices to respond to these crimes and committed to developing a community-wide approach to ending domestic violence and sexual assault,” Executive Producer of Project Woman, Laura Baxter said in making the nomination.

This award recognizes Sheriff Deb Burchett for her efforts in creating the Intimate Crimes Unit (ICU) with funding from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in 2017.

“We wanted to create a more coordinated community response to the crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking to increase the likelihood of prosecution, conviction and sentencing,” Burchett explained.

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Sergeant Denise Jones oversees the ICU, serves as the department’s LGBTQ+ Liaison, is a national trainer on domestic violence topics, and consults with both the IACP and the Department of Justice regarding intimate partner and LGBTQ+ issues, Eckstrand said.

IACP funding paid for Trauma-Informed Response Training for Sheriff Burchett’s entire staff allowing them to work on an action plan for domestic violence situations.

Sergeant Jones and her team developed a domestic violence response protocol that treats victims and survivors with respect, uses interview methods that encourage participation, holds offenders accountable and makes referrals to other agencies similarly to Project Woman, the release said.

Since 1974, Project Woman has been dedicated to end domestic violence and sexual assault by providing numerous programs and services in Clark, Champaign and Madison counties to protect, educate and empower people, Eckstrand said.

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Theresa’s Fund is an Arizona-based non-profit that supports domestic violence services through grantmaking, board development and fundraising, the release said. In 2014, it developed the first online, searchable database of helpful programs and resources for victims, DomesticShelters.org.

If you or someone you know is in need of help, Project Woman has a 24-hour Crisis and Help line at 800-634-9893.

“We don’t care if it is your first time or 50th time calling for service,” Jones said. “We are here to treat you with respect and dignity and help to the best of our ability.”