02/27/2026
Over the past year, the Coldwater Police Department, Branch County Sheriff's Department, Bronson Police Department, Quincy Police Department, Michigan State Police, Branch County Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Branch County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office have worked collaboratively to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of child abuse and s*xual assault cases throughout Branch County.
This coordinated effort began with a training conducted by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards regarding non-stranger s*xual assault investigations, which was attended by dozens of local law enforcement officers and Branch County prosecutors. Building on that foundation, local police chiefs, Insight Hospital, Pines Behavioral Health, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Branch County Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office worked together to amend the countywide child forensic interviewing protocol to establish an emergency procedure for conducting forensic interviews of children when circumstances require immediate action.
To ensure these interviews are conducted professionally and in a trauma-informed manner, more than a dozen local police officers, SANE nurses, forensic interviewers, and prosecutors completed specialized training focused on properly interviewing children in child abuse and s*xual assault cases.
Collectively, each participating agency has demonstrated a strong commitment to thorough investigations and careful, victim-centered prosecutions of these serious offenses.
The Branch County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office would like to specifically thank the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan for conducting this week’s training; the Branch County Sheriff's Department for hosting; the Branch County Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence for supporting the training; and the Coldwater Police Department, Branch County Sheriff's Department, Michigan State Police, Bronson Police Department, and Quincy Police Department for committing officers to this additional training.
This office sincerely appreciates the time, dedication, and professionalism shown by all involved. Through continued collaboration and education, Branch County remains committed to protecting vulnerable victims and ensuring that child abuse and s*xual assault cases are investigated and prosecuted with diligence, care, and integrity.
