This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Park City police finally have a victim advocate of their own to help victims of crimes deal with the aftermath.

After losing a Summit County sheriff's advocate to budget cuts a few years ago, the department recently got a grant to hire their own victim advocate coordinator, who provides victims with crisis intervention and service referrals in the wake of a crime. Tawnya Cazier took the job, coming from her position with the Rape Recovery Center in Salt Lake City.

"Officers speak with a victim, take statements and give the comfort and info they can," Cazier said in a statement. "I'm very lucky because I'm able to work with the officers and take over to help victims with other things they will need going forward."

Right now, Cazier's position is part-time. Her job will eventually include training and coordinating other advocates, but right now she's doing everything.

The department wants to recruit volunteer advocates to help victims with crisis intervention and navigation of the daunting justice system, which Park City Police Capt. Phil Kirk said can be daunting.

Volunteers need to have a good driving record and a reliable vehicle, since they may be asked to drive to training, court or crime scenes. Anyone interested can fill out an application at the Park City website, http://www.parkcity.org, and contact Cazier at 435-615-5575 or at tawnya.cazier@parkcity.org with any questions.

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