Phoenix Victims’ Center undergoes renovation

The Phoenix Police Department sees over 2,400 sexual assault and domestic violence victims each year. The Phoenix Victims’ Center is now undergoing a massive renovation, so it can become a safe place for those reporting crimes. Included in the renovation is updating interview rooms and adding more privacy with a pass-through entryway into the forensic nurse examination rooms. The renovations broke ground on Aug. 16.

Joining us to discuss the renovations and its potential impact were Timothy Thomas, President and CEO of the Phoenix Police Foundation and Lieutenant Sara Fields at the Phoenix Police Department.

The Center’s importance

“Sexually violence and domestic violence are very traumatic events, so a victim in that space needs to have a really safe space where they can relax from it and also the investigative steps can be very lengthy. It is really important to have a nice, protected space for them,” explained Fields.

The Center’s renovations

“Late last year the Phoenix Police Foundation received a grant request that was very instrumental in completing, and that request really was to raise $550,000 to renovate the existing space: to make it warmer, to provide additional amenities for those victims,” explained Thomas.

‘We saw lots of people come through our center, and this will create some private rooms for them so they can sit. Sometimes they come with a partner, a sister, a friend, sometimes it’s with children, so it’ll be nice to just give them private spaces so that they can heal and start that process,” said Fields.

The progress made

“We are starting to understand how important it is for victims to have that safe space where it is really quiet, and they can take some time for themselves. That first impression when they are taken to our center where they can understand that it’s a separate center, it’s not our head quarters, suspects aren’t allowed, that they are really safe,” explained Fields.