Victims are often in need of support at the scene of a crime. That’s where Catie Ladas, the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department’s embedded victim advocate, comes in to help.

“It’s important having one person that is solely focused on the victim or survivor on scene to make sure they get exactly where they need to be and have a plan in place moving forward they feel comfortable with,” Ladas said.

Ladas provides emotional support, resource navigation, safety planning and more for victims and survivors of crime. She can respond to any calls CUPD responds to, including sexual assault, physical assault, hazing, harassment and accidents.

“It’s really always so hard, what people are going through, but I always see incredible glimpses of people’s personalities, their strength and resilience through all of this,” Ladas said. “It’s really fulfilling to see people comfortable with what happens next despite what they’ve been going through.”

Ladas was hired in the summer and is the second person to fill the position that was created in 2021. It’s a joint position with connections between CUPD and CU Boulder’s Office of Victim Assistance.

OVA Director Jessica Ladd-Webert said the office had confidential therapists working with CUPD before Ladas’s position was created, but knew that some survivors and victims were still getting missed.“We thought it would be great to imbed someone in the police department so they could get to know the officers, get to know the protocols, get to know how they do things and then co-respond,” Ladd-Webert said.

CUPD Commander Eric Edford said the community is definitely feeling the impact of having Ladas in that position. She’s the only one in the role and has an elaborate background in forensic interviewing. She’s also working toward her master’s degree in social work.

“She understands the law enforcement side of things quite a bit and what we might be looking for when speaking with somebody while also having a victim-centered approach,” Edford said.

Officers go to Ladas for help and advice, Edford said, and she’s helping keep a victim-centered mindset throughout the department, reinforcing its commitment to supporting victims.

“It’s about supporting the victim, it’s about helping them navigate through the systems, and it becomes so much easier when you’re able to make that direct connection on scene or very soon afterwards,” Edford said.

For example, if CUPD responds to a domestic violence call and the victim’s partner is arrested, the victim needs to know what happens next. Ladas can go over what will happen in criminal process and assess safety planning, including where the victim can stay, when their partner will be released, concerns around mental, emotional and physical safety in addition to medical and academic concerns.

Ladas can follow up with victims and forward them to OVA for more counseling. She conducts outreach, builds relationships with CUPD officers, and supports witnesses who see something traumatic.

“I see this as more survivors getting a victim-centered, supportive, compassionate ear,” Ladd-Webert said.

Ladas said the job is challenging because it’s human nature to care for someone, but it’s part of her work to provide support.

“I want people to know that they always have a support system here with me, with the department and with the university as a whole with OVA,” Ladas said.