Family Justice Center Hits a Snag 

January 31, 2011
By Nancy McCleary

Plans for a Family Justice Center to serve rape and domestic violence victims in Cumberland County have hit a wall.

"We need a building to centrally locate the (Family Justice Center)," said Detective Kellie Berg of the Fayetteville Police Department.

Berg has been a key leader in trying to establish the center that would be a one-stop assistance center for victims.

The center would bring together under one roof the counselors, prosecutors, law enforcement, social workers and those from other agencies that assist crime victims, Berg said.

By doing so, victims will be more likely to cooperate with investigators and get the services they need, she said.

"With everyone in the same location, the victims are not sent from place to place and are more likely to cooperate with the investigation and prosecution," Berg said.

Victims who must repeatedly tell their stories to different people in order to get help tend to give up their interest in the case, Berg said.

The victims may not follow up with prosecutors, and without a witness in court, charges are dropped.

"We have offenders who have been charged multiple times - some more than 20 - and have zero convictions," Berg said.

In November, representatives from various agencies met to discuss the development of a center and the role that each would play.

The agencies involved are the Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake police departments, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, Rape Crisis volunteers of Cumberland County, the Department of Social Services and the District Attorney's Office.

Berg is hopeful the group will find space, perhaps in an old school or business building, and get a grant to fund the start-up.

"We need the community to want this and fight for it," Berg said. "They need to let their elected officials know that this is something that the community wants and needs."