- November 23, 2024
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For a while, when COVID-19 lockdowns began, there was a lull in crime cases in Flagler Beach. That's ended: There's now an increase, and it's keeping Flagler Beach Police Department Victim Advocate Michele Ficocello busy.
"COVID-19 has been, as everyone knows, a burden on everybody — especially crime victims," Ficocello said.
"Michele is extremely compassionate and works tirelessly to find solutions for every situation she comes across. Her tenacity and willingness to show others they matter by providing a kind word or a simple compliment is amazing and a natural reaction for her. ... Michele understands the power of community connections and believes we all play an important role in the health of our community. We just need to choose what kind of impact we want to make."
— KRISTINE AGUIRRE, Whispering Meadows Ranch
Ficocello helps people who've been victims of a myriad of crimes — everything from burglaries to domestic violence to sexual assault cases.
Last fiscal year, she assisted with 285 victims, some of them from the same criminal cases.
"Once we meet with somebody after a traumatic event, it’s all about sitting down, talking through it, and we’re kind of the people that answer that, … 'Where do I go next?' And it’s not just a one answer solution, it’s something you have to work through," Ficocello said.
Much of what Ficocello does involves connecting victims with other services, like mental health support or social service agencies that can help domestic violence victims gain financial independence from abusers.
The domestic violence cases can be some of the toughest Ficocello faces, as victims may be torn between wanting protection from an abusive family member and not wanting to see the abuser jailed, particularly when the abusive family member contributes to the family finances.
"A lot of it first is safety planning: We try to figure out if they’re ready to get out of that situation and what would it look like and try to make a plan," Ficocello said. "Our biggest asset is our network that we have with other advocates, with social service agents in the community."
Some cases are referred by Flagler Beach police officers, and others come the State Attorney's Office, the domestic violence shelter known as the Family Life Center or the Sheriff's Office.
Sometimes, Ficocello meets with crime victims at the scene of the crime or at their homes, and offers assistance.
"I’ll always ask … and if they say flat out say 'No,' then I'll know, I've done my part," she said. Sometimes, she'll leave them with a card and ask if they'd like to follow up later. "Sometimes they’ll reach out; sometimes they don’t, but then you’ll have a case where they say, 'Absolutely, please follow up with me next week or a month from now.'"
"For victims, the goal is to give them back some control through resources and validation, and to ensure that their rights are protected. ... [Michele] knows her job well, and you can always count on her."
— DONNA KEARNEY, victim advocate coordinator
Flagler Beach Police Department Victim Advocate Coordinator Donna Kearney noted that Victim Services is organized so that any advocate can pick up where another left off, if needed.
"For victims, the goal is to give them back some control through resources and validation, and to ensure that their rights are protected," Kearney said. "Michele ... knows her job well, and you can always count on her."
Before Ficocello became a victim advocate for the Flagler Beach Police Department seven years ago, she had an entirely different career — as a horseback riding instructor.
But some skills she learned in her first field about dealing with people carried over.
"When I was an instructor, my students would tell me about their problems," Ficocello said. "And even working with horses, you have to be yourself and you have to be honest with them, so I think both of those things helped prepare me."
Ficocello began as a volunteer — doing paperwork, filing, shredding, and watching victim advocates at work.
"These are very stressful situations, and it takes a while to build up your confidence," she said. "It really was a process, because you jump into it out of the gate and you feel like you don’t know what to say."
She quickly learned.
"A victim advocate has to have compassion, which Michele does," said Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney. "She makes each victim feel special … whatever the crime is. Whether it’s a theft or a burglary or something with violence, each victim is different and reacts differently, and Michele does a great job of tailoring to their needs with her style of how to help them the best that she can."
With others, Ficocello also helped form the Flagler County Advocate Alliance, is on the board of the Victim Services Coalition of the Seventh Circuit, and also works with the county's domestic violence task force and sexual assault response team.
There are times she knew she'd really made a difference.
"It’s never in the form that you think it will be in, because you always think it’s that the perpetrator gets arrested and goes to jail, and justice prevails," she said. "I find it most rewarding when you see that person who’s been traumatized, and at their lowest, really flourish and get back on their feet and learn to live again, and smile. And if you accomplish that — that's a victory for me."
