Special victims unit to focus on sex crimes

MOULTON - To enhance the service provided by the sheriff's department, Lawrence County Sheriff Gene Mitchell is establishing a special victims unit.

"We will have investigators specialized in the investigation of certain crimes, such as domestic violence, sexual crimes and child abuse," Mitchell said.

He said Chris Waldrep and Adam Lentz have been hired as investigators to work in the unit. He said the unit will be under the department's criminal investigations division.

"We've always had a heavy volume of sexual crimes and crimes against children," said Capt. Tim McWhorter, who oversees the criminal investigation division. "This will allow these two officers to concentrate all of their efforts on these type of crimes."

McWhorter said the two deputies also will be working within the schools and the communities throughout the county on education awareness.

"Not only will they investigate these crimes, but this will allow us to take a strong, aggressive, proactive approach," he said.

The sheriff said the investigators also will register and monitor all sex offenders. He said the investigators will be more effective in handling these types of crimes because of the specialized training they will receive.

Mitchell said Waldrep and Lentz have already been closely involved with investigations involving children because they are members of the Lawrence County Drug Endangered Children Program.

"The new specialized unit will also allow the other criminal investigators to focus more on other types of crimes," Mitchell said. "We believe the investigations division will be more effective in serving the citizens of Lawrence County with the addition of the new unit."

He said the new unit is being made possible through funding from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs by way of the Violence Against Women Act.

Mitchell added he believes it is vital to educate kids and adults about the wrongs of domestic violence and abuse, as well as the dangers of drugs.

Residents are encouraged to report domestic violence or child abuse.

"Hopefully, the educational programs that we plan to conduct in the schools and community will help break the cycle of abuse and drug use that plagues many families," he said.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.