CSP 'angels' honored for help given families
State Patrol's victim advocates step in following car wrecks
Ivan Moreno, Rocky Mountain News
Published July 26, 2006 at midnight
When Suzanne Craig-McLeod is ready to look at pictures of the car wreck that claimed her daughter's life, she knows she'll be able to count on an "angel" to comfort her.
On Tuesday, seven victim advocates for the Colorado State Patrol - called "angels" by those they help - were honored for their work in helping families cope with the loss of loved ones in car accidents.
In Craig-McLeod's case, her daughter Caitlyn was one of three teenagers killed in a wreck on Feb. 28, 2003.
Caitlyn, 15, was a passenger in a Chevrolet Impala that collided with a minivan.
Craig-McLeod said she had just moved to Littleton when the accident happened and had few family members to comfort her.
But Dolores Mitchell, director of the State Patrol Victim's Assistance Unit, was "at my home within the hour," Craig-McLeod said.
"I just pity any state that doesn't have this (program)" she said. "She was wonderful."
Mitchell said only two other highway patrol agencies in the country have similar victim assistance programs.
The Colorado State Patrol's program received the 2006 National Award for Professional Innovation in Victim's Services, an award authorized by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
The seven victim advocates in the program on Tuesday received a replica of the award. The staff members are assigned to a district and are on call 24 hours a day to go to accident scenes.
"Each time you go, you're really organizing chaos," Mitchell said.
Each scene is different, she said.
"I pray, when I get into the car (to go to a scene), that God gives me the strength and the words and the wisdom to give each family what they need," Mitchell said.
The relationship that advocates develop with victims' families often lasts for years.
Craig-McLeod hasn't brought herself to look at photos, but she said someday she will. And when she does, she plans to lean on Mitchell.
"I don't think our relationship will ever end," Craig-McLeod said.
morenoi@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2895
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