Domestic Violence Team Honored

Recipients of  the 2020 Sequoyah County Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Team Awards are (left to right) Cindy Smith, Micki Kimble, Chandra Hudson, and Deputy Travis Gabbert.

Four members of the Sequoyah County Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Team were honored in late October for their tireless efforts to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Investigator Cindy Smith was the 2020 recipient of the Helen Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award in Domestic Violence Prevention.

Smith has dedicated her 20-plus-year career to serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and child abuse. As the first woman to serve as assistant chief of police in Roland, Smith worked hard to change the hearts and minds of the officers who served under her.

Smith is not only one of the founding members of the Sequoyah County Coordinated Community Response/Sexual Assault Response Team, but for the last eight years she has served as the team’s coordinator and has worked to grow the team, educate the community through countless community awareness events and trainings for first-responders and the public on how they can best help victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, teen dating violence and child abuse. Cindy is a federally certified law enforcement instructor on domestic violence. Cindy has also been a relentless voice for more advocacy for victims in Sequoyah County and was a key factor in the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office receiving their first VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) grant to fund a victim advocate in 2017.

Micki Kimble was named Sequoyah County Coordinated Community Response/Sexual Assault Response Team Volunteer of the Year for 2020.

Kimble has been a volunteer with the CCR/SART for three years and has worked diligently to bring awareness to end human trafficking. 

Chandra Hudson was the recipient of the Sequoyah County CCR/SART Advocate of the Year Award for 2020.

Hudson is known for her fearlessness when it comes to demanding justice for victims and she is an example to advocates everywhere on how to be a warrior while defending victims/survivors.

Deputy Travis Gabbert was named the recipient of 2020’s Sequoyah County CCR/SART Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

Gabbert has more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement and has worked for the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office his entire career. Gabbert has continuously shown compassion for victims/survivors of domestic abuse. 

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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