Livingston County Honors Crime Victim AdvocatesLivingston County Honors Crime Victim Advocates

4/10/14 - Community members and organizations from Livingston County were honored Wednesday for their efforts in defending crime victims’ rights. The Livingston County Prosecutor’s Office held an awards ceremony, followed by a luncheon as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to thank those who have put in extra effort over the past year in this area. The Prosecutor’s Office has recognized proactive groups for several years with its Above and Beyond Award. Among those honored this year was LACASA’s On-Call Response Team, which provides round the clock aid to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Chelsea Finke, the On-Call Coordinator at LACASA, tells WHMI she is proud to call the volunteers her team. From the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department, Detective Gary Childers, Deputy Matt Young and Deputy William Schuster were recognized for their investigations on a series of home invasions. Livingston County Prosecutor Bill Vailliencourt, who presented the awards, says there must be continued momentum to defending victims’ rights and “we need to remember it is not an invitation to rest”. (DK)