DEPUTY TACKLES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEE LOOKING FORWARD TO CHALLENGES OF JOB.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - As a self-motivator with a sympathetic ear, Nancy Lee seemed a great fit for the position of domestic violence investigator at the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station.

Lee, a 29-year-old Santa Clarita Valley resident, entered a month ago into a facet of law enforcement that is probably one of the most difficult to digest as a protector of the community.

Her smile turned grim Wednesday as she thought about the victims she has interviewed since she began her new job.

``The hardest part is helping a victim get out of a situation and two months later, to see the victim back with the (abuser) all over again,'' she said. ``That's hard to take in.''

Although there has been a gradual decline in reports of domestic assaults in the past few years, there are plenty of cases to keep investigators busy.

On June 30, the city of Santa Clarita was awarded a three-year, $90,000- grant from the state Office of Criminal Justice Planning through the Violence Against Women Act. The city has contributed a $30,000 match for the grant, which primarily funds the domestic violence investigator's position and also provides funds toward the Family Violence Task Force, a group of local social service agencies that deal with family violence.

In 1998, 43 percent of the 1,287 assaults reported in the Santa Clarita Valley were attributed to domestic violence.

In 1999, 40 percent of the reported 1,232 assaults in the Santa Clarita Valley were attributed to domestic violence.

During the first quarter of 2000, between January and April, 39 percent of the 272 assaults reported were attributed to domestic violence.

Lee said she looks forward to the challenges that lie ahead of her.

``I want to find out about the truth in these cases,'' she said. As an instructor in a Rape Aggression Defense program, which will resume classes in September at Valencia High School, Lee has experience working with assault victims.

``She's an excellent instructor,'' raved Lee's former supervisor, Sgt. Joe Efflandt. ``My daughter has gone through the class and really enjoyed it. She had nothing but praise for Nancy.''

Other department heads were equally pleased with Lee's promotion.

``I'm excited to have her on the team,'' said Lt. Tim Peters of the station's detective bureau. ``She has demonstrated selnitiating activities and she came highly recommended.''

Lee was hired by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Dec. 14, 1990.

``Since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a deputy,'' she said. ``I just thought it was an exciting job.''

After graduating from the sheriff's training academy, she was assigned to the Men's Central Jail and later to the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center's North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.

In May 1997, Lee transferred to Santa Clarita, where she began working as a patrol deputy. In March 1999, she began working on the station's Community Interaction Team in Canyon Country.

The team is composed of six deputies and a supervisor who work on reducing crime and developing relationships in the community.

VIOLENCE SYMPOSIUM TONIGHT

Santa Clarita's Family Violence Task Force will hold a Family and School Violence Symposium from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Hilton Garden Inn, 27710 The Old Road, Valencia.

The free event is designed for educators and local social service providers to help them deal with the effects of family violence or crises on campuses.

The task force is composed of the following service providers:

Association to Aid Victims of Domestic Violence _ [phone].

Department of Child and Family Services _ [phone].

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Child Abuse Detail _ [phone].

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence _ [phone].

Newhall-Valencia Counseling Center _ [phone].

Santa Clarita Child and Family Development Center _ [phone].

Santa Clarita Service Center _ [phone].

Valley Trauma Center _ [phone].

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: (color) Sheriff's detective Nancy Lee, the new domestic violence investigator at the Santa Clarita sheriff's station, is also a defense instructor.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News

Box: Violence Symposium Tonight (see text)