Orem PD welcomes newest ‘star’ to support victims of crime
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- Hōkū, a victim advocate K9 for the Orem Police Department, sits in front of an Orem police car in the parking lot of the Orem police station on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
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- Hōkū, a victim advocate K9 for the Orem Police Department, plays with her handler, Aiza Stevens, in the parking lot of the Orem police station on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
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- Aiza Stevens, a victim advocate for the Orem Police Department, holds Hōkū, a victim advocate K9, in the parking lot of the Orem police station on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
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- Hōkū, a victim advocate K9 for the Orem Police Department, runs across the parking lot of the Orem police station on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
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- Hōkū, a victim advocate K9 for the Orem Police Department, sits in front of an Orem police car in the parking lot of the Orem police station on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
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- Aiza Stevens, a victim advocate for the Orem Police Department, holds Hōkū, a victim advocate K9, in the parking lot of the Orem police station on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
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- Hōkū, a victim advocate K9 for the Orem Police Department, waits for a treat in front of an Orem police car in the parking lot of the Orem police station on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
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- Hōkū, a victim advocate K9 for the Orem Police Department, sits in front of an Orem police car in the parking lot of the Orem police station on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
Ever since Aiza Stevens began working at the Orem Police Department as a victim advocate, she has wanted to bring in a new kind of K9, one whose purpose was to help citizens in stressful and traumatic situations.
This month, Stevens succeeded in convincing the department to add a victim advocate K9 and welcomed Hōkū, an 11-week-old red Labrador, as the newest member of the Orem PD.
As she sat at her desk next to Hōkū’s puppy crate, Stevens recounted a time when she was having a hard day and found comfort in a large malamute service dog that was brought to a Police Week event, and that’s when she decided to fight to get a dog like Hōkū.
“After really talking about it to my supervisor, I said, ‘I’m really gonna push for this. I think this is something that our office needs,'” Steven said. “I see a lot of potential benefits for victims of crime.”
Once trained, the red Labrador will accompany Stevens, who has worked as a victim advocate for the Orem PD for two years, as she assists victims of crime in the city.
“As victim advocates, we get called out to like suicides, homicides, certain domestic violence incidences, different tragic pedestrian deaths, so she’d be able to come with me,” she said.
Another part of her job as a victim advocate, Stevens said, is being with victims as they come into the police station for interviews or meetings, and Hōkū will also be there to provide support. Stevens often works with the Special Victims Unit, which handles sex crimes and child abuse cases.
It will take about a year or so for Hōkū to complete all of her training and get started on the job. Stevens said they will be getting her trained as a psychiatric service dog, which is a step above a therapy animal.
Having her certified as a service animal will allow her to go into public places where animals typically aren’t permitted, allowing her to accompany Stevens to any call necessary.
For the next six weeks, Hōkū will participate in basic obedience training at home. She’ll then progress into her psychiatric service dog training, where she’ll learn to remain calm in various public environments and how to provide deep-pressure therapy and help ground people when needed.
Stevens added she hopes they’ll be able to bring Hōkū into court to help victims, particularly those with anxiety or PTSD, during that portion of the judicial process.
While a large part of Hōkū’s job will be to help citizens, Stevens said her presence in the station will also be helpful for police officers as they deal with stressful and traumatic situations.
“I know a lot of the officers, they feel better when we go around (the station) on our walk,” she said.
Stevens said she would soon be training to be a part of peer support, which provides a space for officers to speak with a peer after an incident such as an officer-involved shooting, allowing for Hōkū also to be there to help officers.
Stevens said she and her husband chose to name the red Labrador Hōkū while on a late-night drive from Las Vegas to Utah after flying from Hawaii. Her husband proposed naming the animal Hōkū, which translates to “star,” describing the gentle, playful dog as a “guiding star” for those she cares for.
“He said, ‘Well, you know these victims of crimes are going through some darkest times,'” she explained. “And it’s not like (Hōkū) is going to be a sun or something even brighter like a moon in their presence in such dark times. It’ll be kind of like a guiding star.”
Stevens also hopes that having a friendly dog like Hōkū will help bridge gaps between law enforcement and the community.
“I guess something that we want to capitalize is the communication and cooperation between the citizens and the police department,” she said. “Nowadays, a police department, you know, sometimes you get a lot of backlash, or there’s people who are just anti-police. But I think she would be a great bridge to help any of those gaps.”
According to Stevens, the American Fork Police Department currently has a trained therapy dog and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office recently got a puppy and is using the same trainer who is teaching Hōkū. She said she’s also been contacted by Park City and Cedar City law enforcement, who are also interested in therapy or service dogs for their departments.
“I think it’s a great thing,” Stevens said. “I think every police department should have a dog.”
