— — MANY, La – On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, to celebrate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, a tree planting ceremony was held to honor victims of crime in Sabine Parish. Victims of crime and surviving family members of victims helped make this event truly special.

 

It was coordinated by Project Celebration, the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Department, and the Sabine Parish District Attorney’s Office.

 

Sheriff Aaron Mitchell attended with some of his deputies, one of whom is Barbara Campbell, who handles crime victims’ services for the sheriff’s department. He gave statistics for the types of crime that have occurred in the first quarter of 2021 in Sabine Parish. Sheriff Mitchell expressed his sadness for the trauma that crime victims suffer and pledged that his office will continue to work diligently to keep Sabine Parish and its citizens safe.

 

Project Celebration staff attended the ceremony, including Luci Collins, a forensic interviewer at Project Celebration, who described the types of interviews that are conducted for criminal investigations and the services for counseling that are offered through Project Celebration.

 

Assistant District Attorney, Anna Garcie, described how Crime Victims’ Week began and the importance of the work done by law enforcement and service providers, such as Project Celebration, which helps in preparing cases for prosecution.

 

District Attorney, Don Burkett, in attendance with his staff, talked about the importance of community safety and ensuring the rights of victims. He introduced his Victim Assistance Coordinator, Karen Williams and Court Liaison, Angie Ponder, who work directly with victims daily. He pledged that his office will continue, as it has for more than three decades, to seek justice for victims of crime in Sabine Parish.

 

If you or someone you know is or has been a victim of crime, please contact law enforcement.