When those facing domestic abuse, sexual assault or other crimes are having their worst day, Dawn Maendele is there to help guide them through the process.

"I've sat in court with victims as they face their accusers and just to see their determination to see this through and not be a victim any longer is very satisfying to me because I can't force a victim to do anything," Maendele said. "They have to make those decisions and do the process, if that's what they want to do.

"But when they finally get the courage to do so, that is what makes it all worthwhile."

Maendele is the sole employee for the Topeka Police Department's Crime Victims' Assistance Unit and has worked as such for the past 23 years.

"She never backs down," said Donna Eubanks, investigations lieutenant and Maendele's supervisor. "She's not afraid to call these victims, not ever. And I'm sure she's had other family members call and not be very happy about some certain situations, and she handles them very well."

What is the Crime Victims' Assistance Unit?

Topeka's victims program helps guide those effected by crimes through the next steps. Maendele said this sometimes looks like helping someone file a restraining order or guiding them through the court process.

As the sole employee, Maendele said her day to day is rarely the same. There are days — like in a recent week — where she deals with human trafficking, child abuse and a homicide in the same three hours.

Other days, she's going through and sending out updates to those who have been directly impacted on a crime, whether that be informing them of court updates or when the perpetrator will be released back into the public.

Why is it unlikely the victims program will expand?

The unit is funded through the federal Victims of Crimes Act and is administered through Kansas Governor's Grants Program.

Last year, funding through the federal government was reduced by 40% and then this year is was reduced an additional 30%.

Maendele said she's not sure why the funding keeps getting cut but she was told not to expand because funding is no longer guaranteed.

"It's coming at the federal level, and so it's a trickle effect," Maendele said.

Eubanks said the program has enough funding for now.

"Everything's good right now, so we're just going to move forward and stuff like that," Eubanks said. "But just, it would be a huge loss for sure."

The trials and tribulations of working with crime victims

Maendele said the biggest struggle of her job is getting victims to acknowledge their circumstances and participate in the next steps.

"I think there's multiple reasons: fear of retaliation; that's the only person that they have for support; the unknown of if I go forth with something, what's going to happen next," Maendele said. "And a lot of it is, sometimes they're having to provide personal information to a system that they maybe haven't ever dealt with.

"They're having to explain their domestic violence to an officer to the court, systems and stuff like that and maybe they aren't even willing to accept that they are a victim of such."

While working such a high intensity job, Maendele tries to unwind by leaving her work at the office.

"When I go home to my family, it's not stuff that I can share with them, so during my drive home is when I decompress," Maendele said. "So, if you see me driving down the interstate with the windows down, screaming my head off, you know, just ignore it."

When she gets home after a long day of work she said she doesn't really like to watch cop shows but instead wants to watch things that make her laugh like "Big Bang Theory."

"I hate watching the news," Maendele said. "I hate watching cop shows because some of them are so fake that it's not the reality of what happens with law enforcement and for victim services and stuff like that. So, I try to find stuff that makes me laugh.

"So, I'm not stuck in the reality of this job all the time."