Adams County Sheriff’s Office relocating Crisis Intervention Unit
Published 3:51 pm Tuesday, June 23, 2020
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NATCHEZ — Adams County Sheriff’s deputies have been spending a lot of time at the former Pamper Me Please building at 151 E. Franklin St. lately.
Don’t worry. The deputies are not there to get pampered and no crisis exists at the former nail and facial salon facility.
Instead, the deputies are there working to prepare the building to house the ACSO’s Crisis Intervention Team’s victims’ assistance operation, said Travis Patten, Adams County sheriff.
“That is a cheaper lease for us for our Crisis Intervention Team and volunteer team,” Patten said. “Right now we are housed at the (former) Children’s Home. We are transitioning from the Children’s Home to over there because we needed more space.”
Patten said the Crisis Intervention Team originally leased the Children’s Home space some years ago and the facility has since been purchased by New Hope the Vision Center where Patten attends church under the direction of Bishop Stanley Searcy.
“We are expanding our program,” Patten said, adding that he has a good relationship with Searcy and New Hope the Vision Center. “We are going to the point now where we are going to have a food bank and everything associated with our CIT. We just needed a place to store all that stuff, and we just didn’t have it at the Children’s Home. We went to a bigger building for less money.”
Patten said the CIT was paying $1,200 per month for rent for space at the Children’s Home and the new space is larger for $950 per month.
The ACSO’s CIT team was formed to assist all victims of interpersonal crimes, such as, simple assault victims, sexual assault victims, victims of domestic violence and witnesses of major crimes.
“I can’t wait to put the sign up there so people can see,” Patten said. “It is going to say, ‘ACSO Victim’s Assistance Center,’ which is what that is going to be called. We are just transitioning to a new building.”