Alpena Hosts Michigan Victim Advocate Training
The two-day Victim Services Unit training drew advocates from across Michigan to Alpena Community College.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Sex Crimes
The Alpena County Sheriff's Office hosted a two-day Victim Services Unit training for victim advocates on Friday and Saturday at Alpena Community College. Advocates who work with county sheriff's offices across Michigan, trained through the Michigan Sheriff's Association, attended the sessions.
Why it matters
Victim advocates provide support to people affected by crime, and training helps standardize how they assist victims across Michigan's counties. The session marks the first Victim Services Unit training held in Northeast Michigan.
The training ran two days, with Friday sessions covering fire, drones, active violence incidents, and medical examiners, and Saturday sessions covering trauma-informed services and death notifications. The total attendance and full list of participating counties were not reported.
The players
Alpena County Sheriff's Office
The county law enforcement agency that hosted the training and oversees the local Victim Services Unit.
Michigan Sheriff's Association
The statewide association that trains victim advocates who work with county sheriff's offices across Michigan.
The details
Alpena County Sheriff Erik Smith and Alcona County Sheriff Scott Stephenson sponsored the training, which was aimed at new victim advocates. Diane Sims, the Alpena County Sheriff's Office VSU coordinator, oversaw the event, and all Alpena County victim advocates are highly trained volunteers.
Timeline
Friday and Saturday, weekend of November 6, 2026: two-day Victim Services Unit training held at Alpena Community College.
Legal Context
The Michigan Sheriff's Association trains victim advocates who serve county sheriff's offices statewide. This Alpena session extends that statewide program into Northeast Michigan for the first time.
Residents of Northeast Michigan now have a locally held Victim Services Unit training, which may strengthen advocate support available to crime victims in the region. Victims in counties served by these trained advocates can expect services shaped by standardized state training.
The takeaway
Trained victim advocates play a direct role in supporting people after crimes, so statewide training consistency matters for victims regardless of county. Readers who want to understand local victim services can ask their county sheriff's office about its Victim Services Unit.
Further reading
Explore more Michigan sex crimes coverage to see how victim support fits into state criminal justice efforts.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Thealpenanews.
