Recent reports on child abuse in Habersham County seem to indicate that crime against children is on the rise. According to Deputy Kevin Angell, the Public Information Officer of the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, that’s not necessarily so. Angell explains that the work of the Sheriff’s Office has increased public reporting of incidents as well as convictions. That means the office is receiving more reports of child abuse than they have in the past. As Angell says, “We can’t know what we don’t know.” They can’t investigate crimes that haven’t been reported.
And that success in more reporting is no accident.
The Special Victims Unit at work
In 2020 a special grant from COPS allowed the Sheriff’s Office to restructure the way they approach crime incidents. Investigators were divided into two investigating teams, one for crimes against persons and the other for property crimes.
Angell points out that any success in the areas of child abuse and domestic violence requires the public’s trust in reporting incidents. He credits the work of the crimes against persons team, known as the Special Victims Unit (SVU) for building trust with the community to be willing to call for help. That trust has been built through intentional efforts.
First is the anonymous reporting system put in place in all county schools. Designed as a safe way for children to report abuse, either against them or friends, the system works through an app that children can put on their phones. It’s allowed children to quickly call for help and to report anonymously if necessary. Furthermore, the county has an actively engaged School Resource Officer (SRO) program. Officers work to build strong, positive relationships with students and staff.
Second, the sheriff’s office partners with FAITH’s Power House, a child advocacy and sexual assault center in Toccoa, Georgia. The trained staff at Power House conducts all forensic units, creating a safer and more calming experience for abuse victims.
Third, the SVU has added a patrol investigator to its team. In that position is Deputy Michael Meadenhall who is dually assigned to the patrol unit and SVU. Because Depty Meadenhall is already on patrol, he is able to get to a call on abuse or domestic violence quickly.
Fourth, the investigation division created the position of Public Information Officer. In this role, Angell has the responsibility of keeping the community informed.
The Special Victims Unit (SVU) has been carefully structured with personnel. The unit is made up of four investigators. Besides Patrol Investigator Michael Meadenhall, Investigator Eric Newcomb and Investigator Kevin Angell (also the PIO) are especially skilled in internet research; and Investigator Cale Garrison, home-grown in the area, has the historical knowledge and relationships to understand the community and to locate people. Sergeant Wesley Welborn is the working supervisor of the unit, as well as handling financial crimes and adult protective services.
They care deeply about what they do
Angell emphasized that the deputies of the SVU are “passionate about what we do.” He says, “Sometimes, people see us in their worst hours. But we don’t get to see the end of their journeys once the case is passed on to the District Attorney’s office. That bothers us. We care. We wish we knew how the victims are doing.”
That’s the reason you’ll see so many investigators at extra activities and community events. They want the community to see that they really do care. They do their jobs well, but they are also parents and spouses – they care about what happens to people in Habersham County and the victims they’ve met along the way.
The community can help
The SVU depends upon the community to let them know when abuse is taking place. The case of Melinda and David Cowart’s alleged abuse of their four children discovered that other people in the family knew something was wrong but did not realize how bad it was. Reports can be made anonymously. For phone numbers, go to www.habershamsheriff.com/victimsassistance.
The community can also help by providing new stuffed animals and small blankets to the SVU. These are kept in patrol cars and are used to provide comfort to children and adults of abuse crimes. Interestingly, the community has been providing these in the past, but the supply dried up during the COVID pandemic.
