Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: The FBI stands with the nation in observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau, and this is FBI, This Week.

The FBI provides support and services to the victims of crimes that we investigate. Kathryn Turman is the program director of the Office for Victim Assistance.

Kathryn Turman: There’s a total of 134 individuals who provide direct services to victims of crime; 122 of them are in the field, and then we have child interview specialists and people working with terrorism and hostage victims that are based at Headquarters.

Halpern: Victim Specialist Rachel Pierce and her partner, Dolce the therapy dog, pioneered the FBI’s K-9-Assisted Victim Assistance Program.  

Turman: When we hired Rachel, we actually got two victim specialists in one—one is four footed.

Halpern: Rachel and Dolce go to all kinds of crime scenes to help victims cope. Rachel Pierce…

Rachel Pierce: The presence of an animal can help. There’s this acceptance and love that you get from an animal that can lower blood pressure; it makes you feel calmer.

Halpern: To learn more about Dolce and the Bureau’s Office for Victim Assistance, visit FBI.gov.