b'an investigation. The examples were based in the UnitedCommunication method and format they identify asStates (victim specialist) and the United Kingdom (familysuitable (if available);liaison officer). Jurisdictional scans identified the victimAssistance needed to understand or to be understood;specialist as the most appropriate method to assist vic-tims and survivors within the OPP context.Support from the police to help a victim/survivor feelThe need for this role is in keeping with police obli- safer; andgations under the Major Case Management Model. TheIndividual needs, including cultural needs. model states that a victim liaison officer (VLO) includesThe Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime Progress a civilian member(s). The civilian victim specialist hasReport on the Canadian Victim Bill of Rights emphasizes the knowledge and skills to support the integration ofthe importance of collecting data to support victims rights victim-centredandtrauma-informedapproachesintoat every stage of the criminal justice process, including an investigation.thepoliceinvestigation.4Theuseofavictim-needs Theprogrambuildsuponexistingrelationshipstheassessment on a pilot basis, as part of the Victim Specialist OPP has developed with community partners and victimProgram, has identified specific needs of victims and sur-serviceproviders,atregional,provincial,nationalandvivors. This practical application of target, test and track5 internationallevels,toprovidevictimsandsurvivorsallows for adjustment to operational decisions in the IJFS with access to the information they need when engagingwith the intended outcome of continual enhancement to with the police. These relationships have helped providekey performance indicators. foreign victims with access to, and information on, victimA change in culture takes time and consistent effort. support organizations where they reside, including in theHowever, the ripples of change are being embraced by U.S., Europe and Asia.policeleadersbothdomesticallyandinternationally.A TheVictimSpecialistProgramhasthreekeypeople-firstresponse,acknowledgingthattrauma-in-objectives namely: formed and victim-centred responses must be integrated 1. Effective communication and information; with operations, is essential to modern policing. Over the course of the past few months, the benefits of integrating 2. The setting of clear expectations; andavictim-centredapproachhavebeenobservedwithin 3. A Victim Needs Assessment.the IJFS and the Victim Specialist Pilot Program. These benefits, particularly poignant for victims and survivors, have also impacted police members through improved satisfaction and social impact. Knowledge can change the way we think. And under-standing a trauma- and victim-centred approach is a key step towards supporting safe justice for all.Maria McDonald is the Deputy DirectorVictim Support Strategy Lead, Investigation & Support Bureau, for theOntario Provincial Police.Detective Inspector J.D. (Jordan) Whitesell began his career in 1995 with the London Police Service and joined the Ontario Provincial Police in 2001. He is currently the ManagerCounter Exploitation and Missing Persons, and the Officer-in-ChargeProvincial Human Trafficking Intelligence-Led Joint Forces Strategy (IJFS).OPP Victim-Centred ApproachA Victim Needs Assessment approach gives victims and4Progress Report: The Canadian Victims Bill of Rights Office survivors the opportunity to tell the police their individualof the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime(November 2020) available atneeds, should they choose to do so. This includes needs https://www.victimsfirst.gc.ca/res/pub/prcvbr-reccdv/index.html. with respect to the: 5The Rise of Evidence-Based Policing: Targeting, Testing, and Tracking.Sherman, L. August 2013. Crime and Justice 42(1):377-451.28 H.Q. Winter 2021/22'