A Multidisciplinary Interview Center for Child Victims and Witnesses
District Attorney Jeffery S. Rosell announced that the newly formed Santa Cruz County Multidisciplinary Team has opened the SKY Center, a multidisciplinary interview center for child victims and witnesses. The SKY Center will also connect children and families with advocacy and support.
The SKY — Safe Kids and Youth — Center is a new safe, child-friendly place where child victims and witnesses can talk with law enforcement representatives, as well as Family and Children’s Services professionals, about their experiences. The facility is a space where a well-trained, empathetic professional team works with child victims and witnesses to offer a coordinated, efficient, consistent response that reduces trauma to the child.
“Talking about serious crimes is a scary thing for children,” said District Attorney Jeff Rosell. “The SKY Center will provide children with a space in which they can feel safe to have important conversations. This new resource is going to help make our community safer by increasing the number of prosecutions.”
The Santa Cruz County Multidisciplinary Team includes the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Capitola Police Department, Santa Cruz Police Department, Scotts Valley Police Department, UCSC Police Department, Watsonville Police Department, California Highway Patrol, the Family and Children Services Division of the Santa Cruz County Human Services Department, Santa Cruz County Health Department, Monarch Services and Walnut Avenue Family and Women’s Center.
Law enforcement and child welfare personnel will work together at the SKY Center to investigate cases, share information and hold routine case reviews. The SKY Center will be staffed by Debbie McCann, the Multidisciplinary Team coordinator and a child interview specialist with 20 years experience. McCann will conduct interviews with child victims and witnesses using state-of-the-art audio and video recording equipment. This will allow law enforcement agencies and child welfare workers to observe and collaborate in real-time while the interview is being conducted.
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The SKY Center is funded by a collaboration of the County of Santa Cruz and incorporated cities including Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.
