Audrey Gomez
Children romped through the grass in front of the Sweet Home Police Department on Friday, planting pinwheels along the way.
“That’s how kids should be, not hurting,” said Gina Riley, Community Services Officer.
The pinwheel garden was planted in observation of Child Abuse Awareness Month. This is the second year Sweet Home has participated in the annual event.
While children could decorate paper pinwheels, Mylar pinwheels were available for a $1 donation. Those could be planted at the police department or taken to be displayed at home or business.
“Kiwanis, literally gave the seed money to buy pinwheels,” Riley said.
All donations will go to the ABC House, a child abuse intervention center that serves Linn and Benton Counties. The ABC House is located in Albany, and the money will go specifically for gas cards so people can travel to the location for assessment in potential abuse situations.
Lynn Youngs, ABC House Development Director, was on hand to talk about the center and what people can do to help prevent child abuse.
Their staff is trained to recognize signs and symptoms of abuse and how to interview children without putting words in their mouths, Youngs said.
They’re trying to get to the truth she added.
In addition, the ABC House has an advocate who helps find other resources people may need, for example food ,shelter and counseling, if they need to leave a home where a perpetrator lives.
Youngs said one way people can help prevent child abuse is to pay attention to the children around them.
If a child is behaving differently than he or she normally does, talk with them about it. If you suspect child abuse, report it.
Riley said she knows it can be difficult for people to report child abuse, but callers may report suspected abuse anonymously.
The Linn County Partners for Crime Prevention, which includes Sweet Home Police Department, Lebanon Police Department, Albany Police Department and Linn County Sheriff’s Office, is working together to help stop child abuse in Linn County.
SHPD handed out information at the event with information from partners including definitions of abuse, where to report abuse and how to respond to disclosures of abuse.
“It’s better to report a situation where nothing is happening than find out later something was,” Youngs said.