Commissioners speak with Rape and Abuse Crisis Service workers

By Laura Schiermeier, Staff Writer
Posted 7/13/22

MARIES COUNTY — At their meeting last week, the Maries County Commissioners heard about circumstances and situations when the Rape and Abuse Crisis Service (RACS) is needed. It’s when a …

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Commissioners speak with Rape and Abuse Crisis Service workers

Posted

MARIES COUNTY — At their meeting last week, the Maries County Commissioners heard about circumstances and situations when the Rape and Abuse Crisis Service (RACS) is needed. It’s when a victim of domestic and/or sexual abuse doesn’t have any resources or anywhere else to go.

“This is why we are so important,” said RACS Executive Director Angela Hirsch at last Thursday’s meeting. She and RACS Director of Outreach and Advocacy, Victoria McBride, came to the county commission meeting to talk about what they do for Maries County victims who are referred to them. Most of the referrals are done by the Maries County Sheriff’s Office. 

Hirsch said RACS provided outreach and advocacy services in this county and eight others in Mid-Missouri. Outreach advocates are available to ensure survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking have access to services close to home. 

She gave the commissioners statistics of the number of persons who were served from Maries County in 2021. There were 20 outreach clients. Maries County’s victimization types included 18 domestic assaults and two sexual assaults. There were 106 county residents who sought individual services, six used group services, for 116 persons who used RACS services. There were 28 hotline calls from Maries County. The hotline number is 573-634-4911 or 800-303-0013.

These services include counseling, court advocacy, case management, crisis intervention, resources and referrals and safety planning. RACS has a shelter in Jefferson City which is open 24/7, 365 days a year. It is a safe place for survivors to stay when it isn’t safe at home. It is based in an undisclosed location. 

McBride said Maries County Sheriff’s Deputy Shannon Fannon is on the RACS Board of Directors and is a very good asset to the community and to RACS. 

In 2021, RACS obtained a community level sexual violence prevention grant through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All services are free and confidential. RACS also receives funds from fees collected by the counties. From Maries County this is about $2,000 a year. 

The RACS shelter has about nine guest rooms and can house about 20 to 25 guests at a time, which is mostly women and children. There are male victims and they are housed elsewhere. Hirsch said RACS used to serve 40 victims at a time at the shelter, but they found it was too many to effectively serve and heal. They work with other shelters and in Maries County work with the Russell House in Rolla as well. Six months into 2022, they’ve helped 40 to 45 victims from Maries County. 

McBride was very complimentary of the Maries County Sheriff’s Office. She said they truly care about the survivors of violence in this county, and RACS makes reference of Maries County when talking to other counties about their services. Eastern District Commissioner Doug Drewel said it is good for them to hear positive statements about the sheriff’s office.

Hirsch said they want to get the word out that RACS is a service to victims of domestic and sexual assault and violence. Presiding Commissioner Victor Stratman asked what victims should do first  in a situation, call 911? Hirsch said yes as the sheriff’s office will dispatch a deputy who gives the victim information on resources they can contact for help. “We are one of them,” she said. They can call the RACS hotline and a telephone assessment will be done to determine their immediate needs. She said the sheriff’s office will get victims to the shelter if needed, or RACS can provide transportation, too. 

McBride said Deputy Shannon Fannon is the chosen deputy to respond to most domestic violence calls and she texts them if their services are needed. 

Stratman asked if people in domestic abuse situations need to be relocated and Hirsch said not all of them. Every person and situation is different. Some stay two days at the shelter. Some victims have nothing and they have to start all over from scratch. “We work with them through all those stages,” she said. The biggest issue is access to housing. About 80 percent of the women who leave their abuser fall into poverty. RACS works to help them get out of poverty, but it takes time. They work with agencies such as MOCA and its Section 8 housing program.

Drewel asked if they have a lot of repeat clients. Hirsch said about 30 percent are repeat victims. She said a battered woman will leave seven times before she leaves for good. A big part of this is economic. A couple is in an intimate relationship and it is not always bad; sometimes it’s good and she stays until the violence erupts again. Then she takes the kids and leaves the home. Hirsch said they have had children in the shelter as young as three days old. Older kids who the victim is custodian of also can be at the shelter.

McBride said they have school supplies, back packs, playground and play room and kids there are required to go to school. It may be a school other than the one where they live, but it’s school. They also are required see a child therapist. The commissioners were told about a three-year-old who his mother said the child had no idea what was going on at home. During the interview, the child began to hit, kick and shout at a stuffed animal. The mother was surprised when the child said, “This is what daddy does.”

Drewel asked if there are causes for the violence, such as drugs. Hirsch said, “Drugs and alcohol do not cause violent behavior. It may increase it, but abusers are abusers.” 

Stratman asked if they get more hotline calls when economic times are rough and Hirsch said they do. When there was federal stimulus money coming to families, the number of hotline calls dropped because people had financial resources, and they didn’t call. It’s when they don’t have economic resources that they call because they don’t have anywhere else to go. Their work is very important to victims.

Stratman asked about sex trafficking and Hirsch said not much in Maries County because it is rural. Sex trafficking is a problem on the I-70 corridor and is about three percent of the survivors RACS sees. 

Domestic abuse is a crime and it needs to be recognized as one. People who are victims should not be ashamed of the actions of another person. They are victims and are told by the abuser that they are a terrible person and the violence against them is their fault, they caused it. 

Hirsch said in Maries County “Your officials say, ‘We don’t want this, or allow it.’” RACS partners with the sheriff’s office and Russell House to work together to make survivors feel more comfortable with them. They came to the county commission meeting to get the word out that they are a resource and wanted to make their presence known. 

Fish Hollow

The commissioners received correspondence from attorneys Bandre’ Hunt and Snider, LLC of Jefferson City, asking for a production of documents within 30 days. This law firm is representing Eugene Appel and Jacqueline Appel in regard of the Fish Hollow Gasconade River Access and MCR 306 litigation in Maries County Circuit Court. 

The correspondence asked for information to show funds and labor spent on MCR 306, the parking lot and boat ramp. It asked for all documents in your possession which supports to show ownership and an inventory of public roadways or real property from 2020 to present that is in their possession. Also asked for any survey which included the roadway, boat ramp and parking lot. And, any county road trust funds used. 

Prosecuting Attorney Anthony “Tony” Skouby called and spoke to the commissioners about it. He said he will rely on County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers and County Treasurer Rhonda Slone to assist gathering some of the documents. He said they will prove they received road money from MoDOT. It will take a little homework and time, he told the commissioners. Drewel said there is no way to answer some of the questions. Skouby said they will do their best to answer them. 

On a different topic, Skouby said the notice that ran in the newspaper July 6, 2022 about the full time prosecuting attorney question, Proposition A, needs to be posted in two places in every Maries County township. This needs to be done quickly. By the time the commission meeting was adjourned, they had the copies of the posting, a plastic sleeve to protect it if posted outside, and had a plan of who would do which townships. 

In closing, Skouby commented on the Elmore lawsuit versus the commissioners, the sheriff and some sheriff associates. He said, “They (sheriff’s office staff) bent over backwards to accommodate him and this is what we get.” 

He added, “We are flat rolling. The jail is full.”

Three weeks ago

Western District Commissioner Ed Fagre showed a photo he took of a big pile of tree debris that Road One crew removed from county roads following the storm three weeks ago. The storm brought up to five inches of rainfall within an hour in some places in the county. It also had a high wind element or possible tornado with it. He said it’s been three weeks since the storm and its what the road workers have been busy doing.

The storm also caused Road One to spend a lot of money on materials and fuel to get the roads cleared. The road district also bought a lot of rock to fix places with water damage following the storm.