James R. Linderman, Emmet County Prosecuting Attorney, addresses an audience of law enforcement professionals at North Central Michigan College during a training on the myths and misconceptions of sexual violence investigation. The speaker for the training was Thomas Tremblay, a passionate leader for the prevention of domestic abuse and sexual violence who is credited with a distinguished thirty year policing career. 

Police and probation officers, prosecutors, domestic violence advocates and allied professionals from throughout Michigan attended training on sexual assault investigation at North Central Michigan College, recently.

Those attending the day-long training learned about the myths and misconceptions of sexual violence that help make it one of the most complex crimes for law enforcement to handle. The training also focused on understanding the devastating impact of trauma on sexual violence victims and survivors that may be misinterpreted by police, prosecutors, judges and juries. Attendees learned about working with multi-disciplinary team members in the community who provide services to victims and survivors of sexual assault such as advocates, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and prosecutors. The predatory nature of sexual assault offenders was also explored to better understand how offender behaviors can help guide criminal investigations.

The training was provided by Thomas R. Tremblay who served for over twenty-four years in the police department in Burlington, Vermont. In 2008, Tremblay was appointed by Vermont Governor James Douglas to serve a three year term as Public Safety Commissioner for the State of Vermont. Prior to his appointment he was Chief of Police for the City of Burlington. Currently, he is a faculty member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police National Law Enforcement Leadership Institute on Violence Against Women and he is also an associate with Margolis Healy; a national professional services firm specializing in campus safety and security. Throughout his distinguished thirty year policing career, Tremblay has been a passionate leader for the prevention of domestic and sexual violence. He is now a national trainer and advisor on prevention, response and investigations of gender and sexual violence.

Although 1 in 5 women have been raped in their lifetime, Tremblay said he has never see the level of activism and outrage about sexual violence as we are currently, noting protests as far away as India after the gang rape of a woman on a bus and as close as Steubenville, Ohio, after the rape of an unconscious underage female by high school football players.

“Victims and survivors have taught me so much about this crime; listen to their experiences to help us respond to this crime,” Tremblay urged those attending the training.

The training was sponsored by the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, Emmet County Prosecutor’s Office and Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan. Cosponsors of the training also included the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Association of Michigan, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police and the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association.