Hennepin County has designed a program to help victims of domestic violence, and sex trafficking.
WCCO Radio's Susie Jones has part three of her report on Safe Spaces.
When a victim finds the courage to reach out for help, it can be very emotional and scary for them.
"They can be really upset, they could be screaming, they could be crying," says Deana Smith, the director of the Domestic Abuse Services Center for the Hennepin County Attorney's office.
That office is part of the county's "Safe Spaces" program. Space Spaces started in 2022, and was originally in just four Hennepin County buildings: Minneapolis Central Library, Health Services Building and South Minneapolis Human Service Center along with Government Center. That program is now expanding to eight locations.
When a victim calls for help, and talks to a security person, they are then taken to Smith's office, where employees are trained to remain calm, and be of service. That comes with the knowledge that leaving those situations for victims is extremely difficult in most cases.
"It takes an individual an average of seven to eight times to leave their abuser," explains Smith.
They have people there who speak many different languages... making the person more comfortable, and hopefully more confident to get out of a their situation
"People are capable, and they can do it, and we're here to assist them in doing so," Smith says.
Hennepin County has several resources for victims of sexual abuse, including the ability to get an Order of Protection, advocates to help victims with the process of civil and criminal court proceedings, and emergency shelter and housing assistance. You can find more here.
You can see all three of WCCO's Series "Safe Spaces" here.