GAYLORD — Megan Beckett, crime victim advocate for the Michigan State Police Gaylord Post, sees her main role as connecting crime victims to the resources and support they will need while going through a traumatic time.
“They don’t know about the resources in the area and they may need all kinds of support. That support could be emotional at a court hearing or an interview in the prosecutor’s office,” Beckett said.
Beckett has been in her role since February 2024 after being a social worker at Munson Healthcare.
“I am different from the prosecutor’s crime victim advocates who take care of all crime victims. My focus is on cases of human trafficking, intimate partner domestic violence, adult criminal sexual conduct, strangulation, and stalking,” Beckett said.
She serves victims in Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet and Otsego counties.
Beckett said most of her clients are adults and often the crimes are horrific.
“Sometimes there is a case involving domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Beckett. “I was called about a victim who was at a hospital trying to get a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Exam). I spoke with her and she wasn’t ready to talk with law enforcement yet and didn’t want to make an official report. I drove her to a domestic violence shelter and then we worked on a safety plan and PPO (Personal Protection Order, used to receive protection from an abuser or stalker).”
Sometimes it can be difficult to get victims to testify against the accused as they are not eager to relive the crime in front of strangers in a courtroom.
“Perpetrators often call victims from the jail and make threats,” Beckett said. In one case, she recalled a defendant’s attorney called a victim asking them to write a letter of support for the defendant to get out of jail.
Human trafficking exists in Northern Michigan, said Beckett.
“The cases I see, we label it as grooming and often it’s family members or friends grooming children for sex trafficking,” she added.
There are upcoming film screenings of a documentary in Gaylord and Charlevoix presented by the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan. The documentary follows the journey of sexual assault survivors and their pursuit of justice and healing. Beckett will be part of a panel discussion after the showings.
The screening in Gaylord will start at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18 at BJ’s Catering and Event Center at 990 N. Center Ave. The screening in Charlevoix will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at Charlevoix Cinema III, 107 Antrim St.
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Michigan State Police advocate makes sure crime victims have access to resources, support
Reporting by Paul Welitzkin, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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