New Detroit police unit will communicate with victims of violent crimes, their families
The Detroit Police Department is trying to improve the way its officers communicate with crime victims and their families with a new "Family Advocate and Manger Liaison for Engagement" unit, the department announced on Monday.
For violent crimes, these liaisons will provide case updates to victims and their families and help connect them to available resources, Detroit police wrote in a news release.
The Free Press wrote about a group of mothers in July who had bonded over the frustrations cold cases bring, including what they described as a lack of answers and communication from Detroit detectives.
Capt. Donna McCord of Detroit's homicide unit previously told the Free Press that officers were working hard to improve communications with families of homicide victims. The department had created a system where automated emails are sent to detectives, reminding them to make contact with families.
Sworn officers and civilian members of the department will make up Detroit police's new FAMLE unit, according to the department's news release.
The unit hopes to build trust, communication, and support between officers, victims and their families. It's an effort to better listen to the voices of affected families, the news release states, and "seeks to strengthen the bond between law enforcement and the community by promoting transparency, empathy, and a commitment to justice, all while providing crucial emotional and informational support to families during times of crisis."
"Our investigators do a great job at balancing their work to find those responsible for crimes and communicating updates with families," Police Chief James White said in Monday's news release.
"It's a difficult task, and to support them and our families, we are centralizing the resources we have to offer under one unit. FAMLE will refocus our efforts to engagement and inform victims' families as we work to bring them closure."
FAMLE can be reached at 313-596-2260.
Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at
