ABILENE, Texas — The Abilene Police Department announced it has hired Gina Trevino as the department’s new victim advocate and employee wellness coordinator.
For this position, the department said it received more than 50 applicants, conducted a rigorous screening and held a highly-competitive interview process.
Trevino, a University of Oklahoma graduate, has seen success with multiple agencies to include Safe Families for Children, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), Texas Department of Criminal Justice District Parole (TDCJ), the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) and the Taylor County Juvenile Justice.
As a victim advocate, Trevino will ensure crime victims and their families are afforded the rights available to them as mandated by state law. These duties were previously assigned to the department’s police chaplain and include providing crisis intervention and support, victim’s rights notifications, protective order assistance and the maintenance of records of services offered.
The department said in a press release it is committed to promoting resiliency and wellness of its employees. Therefore, in addition to supporting adult victim(s) of crimes, the victim advocate position will support employee health and wellness through education, counseling, and support services, along with overseeing its chaplaincy program.
“We are confident that Ms. Trevino will greatly enhance the high level of service that our staff provides to our community every day,” Abilene Police Chief Marcus Dudley said in the release.
Trevino begins her new role Monday, July 19.
