Carpentersville Police Department debuts new ‘soft interview room’ donated by Project Beloved the Molly Jane Mission
Michelle Moreno The Carpentersville Police Department debuted its new soft interview room at the Village Hall on Jan. 27.
CARPENTERSVILLE – The Carpentersville Police Department recently announced the addition of a “soft interview room,” which is intended to be included as an extension of the department’s Trauma Informed Care provided to community members.
The new room was officially introduced to the public on Jan. 27 in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Carpentersville Village Hall.
According to Carpentersville Police Deputy Chief Todd Shaver, Project Beloved is a nonprofit organization out of Fort Worth, Texas.
“It is run by Tracy Matheson the mother of Molly Jane Matheson. Molly Jane was found murdered and sexually assaulted in April of 2017,” said Shaver in a Jan. 21 press release.
As a result of Molly Jane’s death, her mother stated, “I had an idea I was going to have to do something following Molly’s death. I had to find a way to bring light to the heavy darkness which had covered our world. I had to find a way to make Molly’s story matter and bring much needed change.”
In 2018, Tracy started Project Beloved by creating “beloved bundles.”
“A beloved bundle includes clothing, undergarments, hygiene products, and other necessary items so that the survivor can leave with dignity and know that someone cares,” Tracy said.
The bundles are given to hospitals and rape crisis centers to provide to victims. Shaver says that the Carpentersville Police Department assembled bundles to be donated to the Community Crisis Center in 2021.
“After creating beloved bundles, Tracy continued her education in helping victims and the idea of creating soft interview rooms [for] law enforcement agencies,” said Shaver. “With the addition of the Soft Interview room in Carpentersville, they have donated 38 rooms.”
Per Project Beloved’s website, soft interview rooms are used to incorporate a method known as Trauma Informed Care (TIC), which considers and understands the body’s biological and neurological response to trauma.
“Evidence-based practices call for a trauma informed approach to reports of rape and sexual assault, and a soft interview room is considered an integral component of TIC. Creating a space that is comfortable rather than stark allows the participant to feel physically and emotionally safe and can have a significant impact on the interview process,” stated Project Beloved.
In addition to the soft interview room, the Carpentersville Police Department also has employed a police social worker for over 20 years and utilizes a therapy K9 to better assist victims.
In 2021, the Carpentersville Police Department started its Therapy K9 program.
Meg Krase, the current Carpentersville Police social service coordinator, attended Paws and Stripes College, a one-week program of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
Dogs enrolled in the program are rescued from local shelters and/or animal control and are given an opportunity to become part of law enforcement therapy K9 teams.
“After a dog passes the temperament testing, they are provided training by a team of inmates. After the dog completes their training, they are provided to law enforcement agencies free of cost,” said the Carpentersville Public Safety Department.
Krase was paired with a dog named Walter, who according to his official Instagram page, was a stray taken in by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Brevard County.
Today, Krase and Walter serve the community through community engagement events and offering support to trauma victims.
Walter also serves as an emotional support K9 for officers who need it.
Krase has a Masters in Social Work from Loyola University of Chicago and has previously worked for the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, Adult Protective Services, and the McHenry County Child Advocacy Center.
