ESCANABA – Delta Force students met on Thursday, June 29 to learn from members of the Delta County law enforcement and legal system, with a focus on solving problems within the county’s Criminal Justice System.

“Law and Order Day” was the fifth session of this year’s Delta Force Class. Sponsored by Community Foundation for Delta County, the day started with breakfast at the Delta County Sheriff Department. The students then received information and a tour of the new Delta County Jail.

Prior to Thursday’s session, Delta Force students had each done a ride-along with law enforcement so that they could have a clearer understanding of a day in the life of a police officer.

Students received a tour of the Delta County Jail from Sheriff Ed Oswald and Sergeant Jeff Hansen, seeing for themselves the state-of-the-art new facility. In a Community Policing Discussion, students learned about the challenges law enforcement professionals face from Sheriff Ed Oswald, Lieutenants Jeff Vallier and Kurt Wilson and Sergeant Eric Willour, who explained that most inmates are in the jail for drug-related crimes.

Members of the panel answered students’ questions and explained some of their jobs’ challenges and how they solve them by working together, ultimately creating a safer community.

One of the programs being studied will aim to educate people with repeat offenses by providing them with education. “Statistical data shows that stable, meaningful employment and housing are two of the biggest indicators to lack of recidivism,” Sergeant Hansen said. “Wo are trying to find out what we can do productively to help reintegrate people back into the outside world.”

In response to students’ questions about their reasons for choosing the field, Sergeant Hansen said, “What keeps me coming back to this job is that every day I get to help provide justice to victims of crimes. We have a belief in the greater good and the victims deserve every bit of justice that we can provide them.”

Students felt the tour and panel discussion were enlightening.

“Today’s experience was incredibly insightful and engaging for me,” Delta Force student Patricia West said. “I was really impressed by the jail facility, the officers and employees, and the programs they’ve implemented. It was exciting to hear that the Delta County Jail is a model facility looked to around the state for the set-up and programs in place to assist the inmates in getting back on their feet and reacclimating to the outside world. My biggest takeaway from the day was that the accused and convicted are human beings. Everyone has a story and the choices they make have an impact. The situations they find themselves in are rarely black and white, and it has given me a lot to reflect on in my own life.”

Next, the Delta Force students learned from the professionals at the Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center (DR-CAC), located near the jail at 2820 College Avenue. The professionally-trained staff at the Child Advocacy Center explained how their program helps children who have been in violent, abusive, or neglectful situations by interviewing them in a professional, research-based, and caring manner.

The discussion was led by Sarah Sorensen, Director at the DR-CAC, as well as Victim Advocate/MDT Multi-Disciplinary Team Coordinator Veronica Williams and Forensic Interviewer Brittany Levesque. When asked why she works in this challenging career field, Sorensen said, “I want to make the community a better place. It’s an honor to be part of someone’s journey, and to help make their experience less traumatizing. To be able to help them go forward and heal is very satisfying.”

Delta Force students also met “Blue,” the CAC’s therapy dog. An Australian shepherd, Blue puts the children who come to the center at ease and helps them to feel comfortable and safe.

Students enjoyed lunch as they listened to the presentations and learned about how the CAC professionals perform forensic interviews and work in conjunction with law enforcement in providing them with these video-taped conversations of the children telling their stories of being abused and neglected.

Delta Force students then visited the Delta County Courthouse and listened to presentations by Delta County Prosecutor Lauren Wickman and Circuit Court Judge John Economopoulos.

Wickman spoke about plea bargaining, evidence, and other areas of the legal system, stressing the importance of communicating with law enforcement and other agencies such as the CAC. Judge Economopoulos explained the differences between district court, circuit court, and probate court, discussed with students the legal process in the United States, and answered their questions.

Created and facilitated by the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, Delta Force encompasses a series of ten full-day sessions covering such areas as media and communications, education, health and community services, law and order, government, and other key segments of our community.

Sessions are typically scheduled for the last Thursday of each month and are designed to be highly interactive and thought-provoking. A typical day involves a combination of group discussions, field trips, and presentations by respected local leaders. Visit deltami.org/delta-force-leadership-program for more information.