It’s been just about a year since several units of the Moose Jaw Police Service moved into the former Times-Herald Building hoping to gain some elbow room and a quieter setting for interviews, and Terri Roney said it’s going well. 

Roney is the Victim Services Co-ordinator with the police. She serves as first point of contact for victims of crime, whether that’s offering emotional support (alongside facility dog Sven), accompanying clients to court appointments, referrals to other resources, assistance with paperwork, or any other help they may need.  

“Myself, my admin assistant, and our facility dog Sven are located out of this building, and then also our Strategic Services, so both our school resource officers are here, and we also have the sergeant of that unit,” Roney explained. 

“One of the main goals was to break down some of those barriers of having our clients come and talk about resources and meet with myself, and not having to go to the police station.” 

Facility dog Sven is the Moose Jaw Police Service facility dog, trained and suited for compassionate consultationMJPS facility dog Sven

Roney said that the main station is often quite busy. Officers coming and going, people seeking help, alleged perpetrators under investigation — it is not the quiet, calm space that victims of crime or high school students seeking help should be walking into. 

In some unfortunate cases, victims of crime could even end up sharing the lobby with the perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of that crime. 

“There’s a doorbell up front, there’s not a lot of foot traffic, so usually appointments are made and we can just spend the time we need with those individuals,” Roney added. 

Anyone that has questions about the Moose Jaw Police Service and their resources, or other community resources — from the courthouse to John Howard Society to Transition House to provincial programs — can make an appointment or just drop in during open hours. 

“We have a lot of great programs around Moose Jaw. Transition House, Moose Jaw Family Services, the Food Bank. We have a lot of great things here and so, sometimes it’s very overwhelming for individuals to figure out who they need to call, where they need to go to get the proper support. 

“Every file is different, every call is different, so we really have to tailor (our response) to the specific individual.” 

Roney can be reached by phone at 306-694-7621, by email at TRoney@mjpolice.ca, or on location by drop-in. 

There are also important volunteer opportunities for compassionate individuals in the community. Volunteers with Victim Services undergo a mandatory background check and at least 40 hours of training in providing trauma-informed care. 

Learn more at mjpolice.ca/resources/victim-services.