Kevin Belk
The City of Grand Rapids Chief of Police, Kevin Belk, has a very strong presence in any room. Walking with purpose, he introduces himself in a quiet, yet confident voice. As a member of the board at the Children’s Assessment Center, the Chief of Police has had a very involved history with the Center. When the Center was first organized, Chief Kevin Belk was a lieutenant in a detective unit. At the time, he was working under Chief of Police Bill Hegarty, who introduced the idea of forming a Center as a safe haven for children who had been sexually abused.
As a detective before the Center was created, Chief Kevin Belk was part of a long process that investigated emotional, physical, and sexual child abuse. When an officer was suspicious that a child had been sexually abused, the child used to be sent to the emergency room for a medical examination and then had to meet with a social worker and then a judge. Each time the child would have to repeat his or her story, and the ordeal became more traumatizing. Chief Belk has sad, heavy eyes as he pictures in his mind the children he worked with during that time.
As the Chief of Police of Grand Rapids, Chief Belk has a very influential position. He can dedicate staff to investigate sexual abuse cases, and he can draw attention to the work of the Center. Since he is the head of the police force in Grand Rapids, by prioritizing the Children’s Assessment Center he is giving the community an idea of what his ethics are like. He understands the truly horrible acts that can be committed against the more innocent residents living in and around the city. He is able to use money from the budget for activities that promote the Center and to benefit the administrative staff and detectives who work there. Chief Belk is also able to be in contact with courts, attorneys, hospitals, and other officers in order to assist in helping provide for the Center.
Since he knows the history of the Center and what it was like without the Center, he will help ensure that the work of the Center continues. Since he has been associated with the Center since it has formed, he is able to look at what practices are more effective than others.
Even after his duration on the board ends, Chief Belk would like to continue to help the cause. It is because of men like Chief Kevin Belk that innocent lives are being salvaged from utter despair. He holds a very powerful position in the City of Grand Rapids and is using it to help the lives of those around him.
— Rachel MacDonald, Grand Valley State University
