By Eloria Newell James, community@laurelleadercall.com
Members of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office visited Laurel Monday as part of a state-wide initiative to educate the public on the services provided by the state agency.
The initiative, which was announced earlier this month by Attorney General Jim Hood, is a grassroots campaign with employees of the Attorney General’s Office mailing and delivering information packets to community centers, churches and other non-profit organizations.
Monday’s local event, which was open to the public, was conducted at Comfort Care Nursing Center in Laurel. Prior to the stop in Laurel, the state employees made a presentation in Hattiesburg.
Deshun Martin, an assistant to the Attorney General, said the initiative is designed to help residents understand the resources available to them through the Attorney General’s Office.
The name of the statewide initiative is “Did You Know?”
As a part of the initiative, employees with the Attorney General’s Office _ Vanessa Wilbert, a victims’ advocate; Special Assistant AG Juliette Wilson; Duran Davis, administrative assistant for the Child Desertion Unit; and Martin _ outlined to residents some of the services available to them.
Many of those attending the program said they benefited from the information shared.
Cammie Gibbs, a resident at the nursing center, said she gained a lot from the agency’s visit.
“I think it was great,” Gibbs said. “It told me about a lot of things that I was wondering about. I’m glad they had it.”
Trina Heidelberg agreed.
“I was interested in the various programs being offered by the AG’s office and gained a lot,” Heidelberg said. “A lot of people don’t realize the free services available to the public.”
Martin said the Attorney General’s office provide many services to the people of Mississippi.
“We are getting the word out to every community in Mississippi telling them essentially what the office does,” Martin said. “We have lot of free services to the public and we want them to know about them. This money is their money.”
Martin said through the agency’s Victims Assistance Program awarded more than $3 million in financial assistance to eligible victims of violent crimes last year.
The presenters during Monday’s event said the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office is divided into a number of divisions and units including:
• The Child Desertion Unit, which criminally prosecutes deadbeat parents throughout the state for desertion, abandonment and the failure to pay court ordered child support;
• The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Vulnerable Adults Unit, which enforce the laws which prohibit abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults, such as those having mental or physical disabilities;
• The Victim Compensation Division, which provides financial assistance and support services to eligible victims of violent crimes;
• The Consumer Protection Division, which provides assistance during disputes with a business through its mediation process;
• The Administrative Division, which manages the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Disability Trust Fund, that provides financial benefits to eligible law enforcement officers and firefighters injured in the line of duty;
• The Domestic Violence Division, which provides materials on coping with domestic abuse, including information on domestic abuse protective orders and the address confidentiality program; and
• The Cyber Crime Unit, which protects and rescues children through the investigation of computer crimes such as child pornography.
Heather Gilbert, administrator of Comfort Care Nursing Center, and Ladd Hatten, director of long term care at the nursing center, said the program was designed as a community service.
“We try to support the community and do things to benefit the community,” Hatten said. “We try to do anything we can to help the community.”
Members of the AG’s Office are scheduled to be in Gulfport and Biloxi on today.
For more information about the various programs offered by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office call 800-281-4418 or visit the agency’s website at www.agjimhood.com.
