Working Like Dogs

Did you know that the FBI has Crisis Response Canines, Wally and Giovanni as part of their Victim Services Division? They, along with their human handlers, have responded to the mass terrorist shooting in San Bernardino, California and the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Listen in as Wally’s handler, Staci Beers, talks about the work she and Wally are doing and the impact Wally is having on the victims the FBI serves.

BIO:

Staci A. Beers

Staci joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in March 2010 and is a Victim Services Coordinator in Terrorism and Special Jurisdiction Unit in the Victim Services Division (VSD). Staci’s responsibilities include immediate liaison with next of kin of deceased victims and support to victims and families following an overseas attack, coordination of medical evacuation and repatriation of remains, providing crisis intervention to victims and family, and serving as a liaison between the victim and FBI throughout the course of the investigation.

In addition, Staci is also a Crisis Response Canine (CRC) handler for Wally. Wally is a four year old yellow Labrador who is trained in providing animal assistance crisis response to crime victims. Wally reduces stress and anxiety brought about by exposure as a result of violent crime, tragedy, and/or critical incidence. The CRC program aims to use the canine human bond to promote resilience and connection for victims and responders. Staci and Wally responded in the aftermath of the IRC shooting in San Bernardino, the personal effects return to the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing, the police shootings in Dallas, TX, the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL and the Las Vegas Festival shooting.

For several years, Staci coordinated VSD’s Victim Services Response Team (VSRT). VSRT is a multi-disciplinary team consisting of victim specialists, analysts, and special agents after a rigorous selection process. The VSRT is utilized when the FBI needs to fulfill its legal responsibilities to victims of mass casualty crimes such as terrorism and transportation disasters or when the FBI is requested to support state and local agencies investigating violent acts. Staci led the VSRT response at the EAME shooting in Charleston, SC (2015), the Grand 16 Theater shooting in Lafayette, LA (2015), the IRC shooting in San Bernardino, CA and the Dallas Police shooting in 2016. She coordinated the Family Assistance Center for the Pulse Nightclub shooting victims in Orlando, FL (2016) and the 1 October tragedy in Las Vegas (2017). In addition, Staci coordinates investigative briefings, site visits, and the return of personal effects in many of these cases.

Staci has worked with crime victims for over 26 years. Prior to working in the FBI, Staci worked as a victim advocate in a law enforcement agency, probation and parole, and prosecutor’s office. In addition, Staci supervised the Crisis Response Unit in a Child Advocacy Center and was the Assistant Executive Director in a comprehensive victim services agency.

Staci was a certified training and crisis responder with the National Organization for Victim Assistance, co-coordinated the Pennsylvania Crisis Intervention Team, and was a member of the Florida Crisis Response Team. She has developed, trained, and led many teams throughout her career in the aftermath of 911 in PA and NY, Hurricane Katrina and multiple homicide scenes. Staci has presented at hundreds of national, state, and level conferences on topics including victim’s common response to trauma, addressing needs of victims in mass casualty events, and death notification.

Staci has been published in Overcoming Loss: The Other Victims of Homicide, and Days in the Lives of Social Workers. She is an instructor at DeSales University in the Criminal Justice Program.