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Friday, December 19, 2014
ENP STAFF REPORTS
news@eastniagarapost.com
ALBANY — Organizations serving East Niagara will receive $115,700 in federal funds to help combat sexual assault and domestic violence.
The lions share of the local funding will go to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, which was awarded $66,750 to find a domestic violence victim liaison, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office. Also receiving assistance are the YWCA of Niagara, which was awarded $27,590 for sexual assault
services, including partial funding for an advocate and counselor, and the City of Lockport, which was granted $21,450 to fund a domestic violence investigative team, including partial funding for a domestic violence officer and domestic violence victims’ advocate from the YWCA of Niagara.
In all, New York State has received $6.2 million in federal funds that will allow 90 community organizations, hospitals, police departments and district attorneys’ offices to enhance services and protections for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, according to the governor's office.
The grants will also support the work of health care professionals who are specially trained in examining sexual assault victims and collecting evidence that can be used by law enforcement, as well as allowing the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault to develop protocols and training that better address sexual assaults on college campuses.
"This funding will provide much-needed resources to assist victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in every corner of New York State," Governor Cuomo said. "These organizations are proven programs that are helping to create a better system of support and justice for victims, and I am pleased that their good work is being recognized by our federal partners."
The funds will support programs that assist victims and the work of law enforcement professionals, including:
The grants are funded through the federal Violence Against Women Act and administered by the State Division of Criminal Justice Services. The grants process was open and competitive for the first time in more than a decade, which resulted in grants being awarded to 14 organizations and agencies that had not been funded in the past. As a result, services for sexual assault and domestic violence victims will be expanded in the following counties: Albany, Allegany, Chautauqua, Fulton, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schenectady, St. Lawrence and Suffolk counties, as well as New York City.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services was required to follow a long-standing federal allocation formula when awarding the grants. The agency also needed to meet several new federal requirements, including funding efforts to eliminate sexual assault in correctional facilities, reducing domestic violence-related homicides, and ensuring that funds were equitably distributed among urban, suburban and rural communities across the state.
In addition, previously funded entities had no guarantee that they would receive funding this year. The Division of Criminal Justice Services received approximately $10.3 million in requests, exceeding the available funding by more than $4 million.
Division of Criminal Justice Services Executive Deputy Commissioner Michael C. Green said, “During my 25 years as a prosecutor, I saw the devastating impact that domestic violence and sexual assault had on its victims and their families, particularly children, who too often witnessed crimes committed by one parent against another. These grant awards will allow local criminal justice professionals, victim advocates and attorneys to handle cases more effectively, holding offenders accountable and also providing victims the services and support they need to recover and rebuild their lives.”
The New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault and New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence each will receive two grants totaling $231,000.
The Coalition Against Sexual Assault will use its funding to initiate a statewide project to implement best practices to address campus sexual assault by improving the response to these crimes through enhanced coordination among campus personnel, rape crisis centers, local law enforcement and prosecutors, while the Coalition Against Domestic Violence coalition will work to reduce domestic violence homicides across New York through statewide training and technical assistance for service providers. Both organizations also will fund statewide prevention and awareness initiatives and training for advocates who work with domestic violence and sexual assault victims.
Rep. Louise Slaughter, an original author of VAWA said, “Survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault have endured the unimaginable. When Pat Schroeder and I wrote VAWA, we knew that in addition to physical, emotional, and psychological trauma that survivors experience, they are almost always faced with housing needs, legal matters and financial issues. The programs established through VAWA help survivors of domestic violence rebuild their lives with assistance in all these areas. Since 1994, incidents of domestic violence have decreased by 67 percent. I am proud to support VAWA and the excellent organizations here in Rochester that benefit from the grant programs it established.”
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| Gov. Andrew Cuomo |
The lions share of the local funding will go to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, which was awarded $66,750 to find a domestic violence victim liaison, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office. Also receiving assistance are the YWCA of Niagara, which was awarded $27,590 for sexual assault
services, including partial funding for an advocate and counselor, and the City of Lockport, which was granted $21,450 to fund a domestic violence investigative team, including partial funding for a domestic violence officer and domestic violence victims’ advocate from the YWCA of Niagara.
In all, New York State has received $6.2 million in federal funds that will allow 90 community organizations, hospitals, police departments and district attorneys’ offices to enhance services and protections for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, according to the governor's office.
The grants will also support the work of health care professionals who are specially trained in examining sexual assault victims and collecting evidence that can be used by law enforcement, as well as allowing the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault to develop protocols and training that better address sexual assaults on college campuses.
"This funding will provide much-needed resources to assist victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in every corner of New York State," Governor Cuomo said. "These organizations are proven programs that are helping to create a better system of support and justice for victims, and I am pleased that their good work is being recognized by our federal partners."
The funds will support programs that assist victims and the work of law enforcement professionals, including:
- Advocacy, counseling and legal services;
- Salaries of sexual assault examiners, who are nurses or other medical professionals specially trained to perform forensic exams;
- Salaries of police investigators, prosecutors and probation officers that specifically handle domestic violence and sexual assault cases; and
- Training programs for law enforcement, judges and service providers.
The grants are funded through the federal Violence Against Women Act and administered by the State Division of Criminal Justice Services. The grants process was open and competitive for the first time in more than a decade, which resulted in grants being awarded to 14 organizations and agencies that had not been funded in the past. As a result, services for sexual assault and domestic violence victims will be expanded in the following counties: Albany, Allegany, Chautauqua, Fulton, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schenectady, St. Lawrence and Suffolk counties, as well as New York City.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services was required to follow a long-standing federal allocation formula when awarding the grants. The agency also needed to meet several new federal requirements, including funding efforts to eliminate sexual assault in correctional facilities, reducing domestic violence-related homicides, and ensuring that funds were equitably distributed among urban, suburban and rural communities across the state.
In addition, previously funded entities had no guarantee that they would receive funding this year. The Division of Criminal Justice Services received approximately $10.3 million in requests, exceeding the available funding by more than $4 million.
Division of Criminal Justice Services Executive Deputy Commissioner Michael C. Green said, “During my 25 years as a prosecutor, I saw the devastating impact that domestic violence and sexual assault had on its victims and their families, particularly children, who too often witnessed crimes committed by one parent against another. These grant awards will allow local criminal justice professionals, victim advocates and attorneys to handle cases more effectively, holding offenders accountable and also providing victims the services and support they need to recover and rebuild their lives.”
The New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault and New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence each will receive two grants totaling $231,000.
The Coalition Against Sexual Assault will use its funding to initiate a statewide project to implement best practices to address campus sexual assault by improving the response to these crimes through enhanced coordination among campus personnel, rape crisis centers, local law enforcement and prosecutors, while the Coalition Against Domestic Violence coalition will work to reduce domestic violence homicides across New York through statewide training and technical assistance for service providers. Both organizations also will fund statewide prevention and awareness initiatives and training for advocates who work with domestic violence and sexual assault victims.
Rep. Louise Slaughter, an original author of VAWA said, “Survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault have endured the unimaginable. When Pat Schroeder and I wrote VAWA, we knew that in addition to physical, emotional, and psychological trauma that survivors experience, they are almost always faced with housing needs, legal matters and financial issues. The programs established through VAWA help survivors of domestic violence rebuild their lives with assistance in all these areas. Since 1994, incidents of domestic violence have decreased by 67 percent. I am proud to support VAWA and the excellent organizations here in Rochester that benefit from the grant programs it established.”
Send an email to news@eastniagarapost.com with "email update" in the subject line.
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