District Attorney Dave Strouse outlines county challenges, treatment programs
LOCK HAVEN — With a beefed up staff and a new focus on helping, rather than jailing, people who commit non-violent crimes, Clinton County District Attorney Dave Strouse is finding some success … and increased conviction rates.
Strouse spoke to a packed house at Thursday’s weekly Kiwanis of Lock Haven club luncheon at the Elks Lodge and talked about the “state of law enforcement” in the county.
The county’s chief law enforcement officer touched on a myriad of topics, including the expansion of specialty courts, prosecution rates, body cams for police officers and drug trends.
Here are some of the highlights from his speech:
… Meanwhile, the prosecution rates for sexual assault increased by 24 percent in 2019.
“Those are positive numbers that show that these small changes have, hopefully, made a pretty significant impact,” Strouse said.
Strouse said that one of the tools in prosecuting sexual assaults are the formations of SAFE-T Centers. The Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth Center will facilitate the development of a locally-based sexual assault treatment team, consisting of nurses, advocates and community partners.
The Express on Feb. 5 featured a story on a new SAFE-T team at UMPC Lock Haven to enhance care for sexual assault victims.
