Beacon supports victims and witnesses of crime, as well as family members and friends who have been affected by a crime.
Beacon is run by a charity called Catch 22 and is funded by the Police Crime Commissioner. Hertfordshire Beacon is independent from the Hertfordshire police, offering a confidential service to all. If you're a victim or witness of a crime - or if you're a family member or friend who has been affected by one - Beacon can support you. The service is free of charge and is available to you whether or not the crime has been reported to the police.
On-campus and Virtual Support Clinics:
If you have been affected by a crime as a victim, witness, family member or friend, you may be interested in attending one of the monthly Clinics which are hosted by the Hertfordshire Beacon. The Hertfordshire Beacon Clinic is available to all students and staff at the University of Hertfordshire. You can see all the upcoming Hertfordshire Beacon Clinic dates on the Events listings.
Hertfordshire Beacon provides practical/emotional support and advocacy with any other services that you need assistance with. If required, you will be referred or signposted to suitable additional support services.
In the case of a sexual assault or rape, referrals can be made to Hertfordshire SARC. It should be noted that if a rape or serious sexual assault is disclosed to a member of staff, the victim should be encouraged to visit the SARC as a matter of urgency and not wait for the next drop-in, so that any DNA can be recovered. This does not mean that the victim will have to report the attack to the police immediately (although this is advisable), but it does mean that at a later date, if the victim chooses to do so, all forensic evidence is available to assist with the investigation. In this instance the SARC can be contacted on their 24/7 Helpline on 0808 178 4448.
If you have any questions about the Hertfordshire Beacon Clinic, you can contact the team directly via e-mail (info@hertfordshirebeacon.org.uk), by phone (03000 11 55 55 - option 3) or by visiting Beacon's website and completing the Contact Us form.