Pembroke Pines victim advocate honored for service. ‘There is a support system’
On some days, the job means helping someone file a restraining order. On others, it means standing beside a family as they learn a loved one has died.
Pembroke Pines Police Department victim advocate Rose Desmornes is there for both.
Desmornes was recently recognized among a select group of advocates across Florida, receiving the Attorney General’s Distinguished Victim Services Award during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in April.
The statewide recognition, presented by Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office in Tallahassee, honors advocates, law enforcement personnel and prosecutors who help victims navigate the aftermath of crime.
Desmornes was nominated by her supervisor, Victim Advocate Manager Catherine Lievano, for her commitment to supporting individuals who Desmornes describes as survivors, rather than victims, through some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
For Desmornes, the language distinction matters.
“Once they reach my office for services and resources, to me they are no longer victims, they are survivors,” she told the Pembroke Pines News on May 5. “When they leave ... they always leave as survivors, and that makes a big difference.”
She said that shift reflects the goal of her and her unit’s work, helping people regain a sense of stability and control.
“This is truly a great honor to have been selected to receive such a remarkable recognition,” Desmornes said. “This is one of my greatest achievements and it means a lot to my department, my unit and most importantly, to every survivor I stand with.”
Meeting people in crisis
Desmornes has worked with the Pembroke Pines Police Department for about two and a half years, but her career in advocacy spans decades.
Before joining the department, she worked in a domestic violence shelter, spent 15 years with Miami-Dade County as an information referral specialist, and later worked for the Boca Raton Police Department. She has lived in Pines for a little over 10 years.
Now part of a five-person victim advocacy unit, Desmornes is often one of the first points of contact for people in crisis.
“The first thing that I always do with each individual is a crisis intervention interview,” she said. “That approach helps me understand what they’re going through and what services and resources could support them, because with every individual, their circumstances are not the same.”
Desmornes explains that advocates help survivors navigate the legal process, including filing restraining orders and connecting them with housing, counseling, financial assistance and other resources they might need.
“The fact that we are there with them as a companion, they feel that is it going to be OK, and that’s what we want for our survivors,” she said. “We want them to be at peace ... because trauma affects lives on so many different levels so we want to make sure that they are emotionally and psychologically ready as they move forward with their life.”
The case behind the recognition
When Desmornes learned she would receive the award, one case immediately came to mind.
A woman arrived at her office with two young children, no home, no job and no support system. Desmornes and her team worked together to find the woman a place to stay. Over time, she secured a job and began rebuilding her life.
“Now she is one of the most incredible women in my life and in my team’s life,” Desmornes said. “I believe that is the case that got me to where I’m at now and with this award.”
Victim advocates are on call 24/7, Desmornes said, responding to a wide range of calls such as traffic fatalities, kidnappings and homicides.
Desmornes says that in recent years, suicide cases have been especially frequent and difficult.
“Some cases, like suicide, are increasing every single day and those calls can be extremely, extremely hard on the family and of course, us as victim advocates,” she said.
At crime scenes, advocates focus on supporting families while the officers and detectives handle the investigation.
“We also do death notifications, and this is one of the hardest parts, having to go to a family member to tell them that their loved one has died and that family member collapses on you, and we have to embrace them, support them through that moment,” she said.
Despite the emotional toll, Desmornes said the work is what drives her.
“I love what I do very much,” she said.
She also credits her team, her supervisor and her family for helping her manage the weight of the job.
“When I’m out there to do what I do, my survivors come first and I know that emotionally it may affect me, but at that particular moment, it’s the support the survivors need,” she said.
Desmornes also hopes to raise awareness about domestic violence.
“I want everyone to know that there is a pattern, that domestic violence doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “And I want them to know that there is a support system out there in law enforcement, victims advocates, the legal system, friends and family.”
While she acknowledges she cannot stop every case of violence, she said her role and her team’s is to do everything possible to support those affected.
“This is my job to do everything that I can in my power to protect all victims,” Desmornes said.
