An Officer’s Story
Resources, Spotlight, Team Newhouse
Author: Lissha Westmoreland, Newhouse Volunteer
Meet Officer Charmainne Sanders
Officer Charmainne Sanders of the Kansas City Police Department stands with survivors. She stands with survivors not only from a professional standpoint but from a personal one.
Officer Sanders’ connection to an abuse victim, one of her older sisters, caused her to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Officer Sanders shares:
My journey to becoming a police officer began in high school when one of my older sisters was in an abusive marriage. I saw her suffer physically, emotionally, and psychologically. I was there to support her, but I felt helpless. I wanted her to be safe and happy again. This inspired me to become a police officer to help others facing abuse.
After her sister was able to leave her first abuser all those years ago, Officer Sanders witnessed her sister enter another abusive relationship more recently. This abusive relationship caused Officer Sanders to become involved on behalf of her sister and her sister’s children when Officer Sanders placed a call for police intervention. Placing the call for help was just the beginning of Officer Sanders’ involvement–she and her husband gained temporary custody of her nieces and nephew while her sister healed from the trauma of her abuse.
Thankfully, Officer Sanders’ sister was able to find herself in a safe environment and welcome her children back into her care.
Without Officer Sanders stepping in to say “no” to the abuse her sister and her sister’s children were experiencing, there is no telling what would have come of their lives.
In America, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience one or more forms of intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence. In Kansas City, when considering the worst possible outcome of intimate partner violence–fatality at the hands of an intimate partner–the numbers are startling. From 2019 to 2022, between three and thirteen victims were killed by their abusers. In 2023, the number of those killed by their intimate partner hit 22.
A mother unable to hold her children again. A brother who will never show up to family dinner on Sunday. A churchgoer who can never again participate in their community. A loving neighbor who lost the chance to attend a neighborhood cookout. Lives lost, never to return.
22 is a number that could easily double due to unknown contributing factors, for example, victims who never disclosed their abuse, therefore leaving their families in the dark and unaware of an unhealthy relationship that may have ended their loved one’s life.
Officer Sanders has had the opportunity to interact and stand with survivors of domestic violence through Newhouse as an intern working in the shelter’s kitchen in 2013, as an officer transporting survivors to the shelter, and a community interaction officer, or CIO.
All three roles allowed Officer Sanders to provide a layer of support to those seeking escape from their abusers.
As an intern, Officer Sanders listened to the stories of survivors, understanding the courage it took for them to leave their abusers and choose better for themselves and at times their children. While providing a meal in a safe environment, simply participating in the everyday happenings at the shelter, she found herself in awe of the strength of the residents at Newhouse.
As an officer transporting abuse victims and at times their children, Officer Sanders recalls, “It takes immense strength to call for help. Over 3 years, I took a few dozen people to safety.” She further reflects on her experiences:
I always paid special attention to kids in these situations, giving them reassuring words and teddy bears that I kept in my car…I remember bringing a man to the shelter who was very nervous. I reassured him, telling him I had been there several times, and that it was a good place. By the time we arrived, he felt ready to walk through their doors and gave me a heartfelt thank you.
As a CIO, Officer Sanders’ goal is to help the community feel more comfortable with law enforcement as a whole. Some community members only have negative perspectives of law enforcement, including children who are fearful of officers instead of trusting them. Officer Sanders is grateful for opportunities to reshape these negative views of officers.
Having attended several events at Newhouse, Officer Sanders’ favorite event was in 2021 when she and another officer who was dressed as Santa Claus handed out toys to children at the shelter.
From all those years ago as an intern at Newhouse to today as an officer who directly interacts with survivors during some of their darkest days, Officer Sanders expresses her hope for all survivors: that they see their own strength and realize their inherent worth; that they learn from what happened and heal with therapy; that they rebuild themselves and their lives; that they have the confidence to not only live but to flourish.
Officer Charmainne Sanders stands survivors of intimate partner abuse and with Newhouse.
Will you stand with Officer Sanders as she stands with survivors?
Would you consider standing with Newhouse through a donation toward programming that can allow another survivor to begin a new journey?
Programs at Newhouse exist to increase survivors’ success and hopefully decrease the number of victims who could die at the hands of their abusers.
Would you consider becoming a volunteer or even an intern just like Officer Sanders, providing direct support to survivors and their families in our shelter?
Thank you, Officer Sanders, for saying “no” to the abuse of a loved one and saying “yes” to standing with survivors!
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