MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office now has a newly renovated “soft interview room” designed to help victims and survivors of violent crimes share their stories in a more comfortable setting — a change investigators say has been a long time coming.
The room, outfitted with furniture donated by Virginia Furniture Market and Grand Home Furnishings through the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, replaces what was previously a bare, unwelcoming space.
“It’s a complete 180,” said Steve Baffuto, CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. “You went from just a table and a chair to a more relaxing, compassionate room for victims that are suffering probably the most difficult time in their life.”
A safe space built for survivors
Investigator Krystal Collins of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said the room’s purpose goes beyond comfort.
“The whole goal of a soft interview room is to provide a safe space for victims and survivors of violent crimes to be able to come in and share their stories in a non-threatening environment,” Collins said.
Collins added that victim testimony is among the most critical evidence investigators collect. “Testimony from a victim or survivor of a violent crime is one of the most vital pieces of evidence that we have with these types of crimes,” she said. “Being able to get as much detail as we can is so important moving forward.”
Designed for all victims, not just children
The renovation comes during National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, but investigators say the room is built to serve victims of all ages.
“We wanted to be able to not only bring a child in here and get a successful interview, but also, if there was an elderly person who has experienced something or is a victim of some sort of crime, be able to bring them in here and it not be so childlike,” Collins said.
That versatility marks one of the biggest improvements the new space offers investigators.
Business community rallied quickly
Investigator Chloe Krafft said the response from the local business community was immediate.
“I was just overwhelmed with joy,” Krafft said. “We have wanted this for a long time. We have known statistically it is proven to help victims and survivors just provide their story.”
Baffuto said the Chamber moved quickly once the Sheriff’s Office outlined its needs. “We immediately said, what can we do to help? And they told us what they needed,” he said. “I went to our partners, Grand and Virginia Furniture Market, and they immediately jumped on board.”
Krafft said the speed of the project stood out. “There was no hesitation. Everyone jumped in and wanted to help and just give as much as they could to us,” she said. “Times are tough, so it was really nice that this was able to come together in a very short period of time.”
Investigators Krafft and Collins said they hope anyone who may have been hesitant to share their story in the past will feel more willing to come forward after seeing the new space.