November 14, 2018
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Law Enforcement and Victim Compensation
 
This fall, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in partnership with the National Center for Victims of Crime and the Police Foundation, announced a variety of new materials and resources designed to assist law enforcement in providing essential information about victim compensation to crime victims.
 
The primary goal of this new project, " Law Enforcement's Role in Supporting Crime Victims' Access to Compensation," is to develop and deliver training, technical assistance, and resources to law enforcement and first responders allowing them to be a source of information and a resource for victims of crime. First responders' knowledge about victim compensation, helping victims apply for it, and receive it fills an important gap in the process.
 
The IACP reports that "the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards (NACVCB) reports that each year, state compensation programs are paying out close to $500 million annually to more than 200,000 victims. However, this figure pales in comparison to the estimated 1.16 million violent crimes reported to law enforcement in 2013. It appears that victim compensation may not be reaching all victims in need." The project will also help ensure that investigative reports are filed in a timely manner and include the information necessary to meet state eligibility requirements for victim compensation.
 
Available materials and resources include:
 
  • Training videos for first responders, investigators, and law enforcement leadership with companion guides and a webinar PowerPoint
  • A list of frequently asked questions (PDF) about victim compensation
  • palm card (PDF) with information on victim compensation that can be customized to your jurisdiction
  • A tip card on important elements of writing a report that can help a victim be approved for compensation. Two versions are available, small (PDF) and large (PDF).
  • Agency communications that include sample blog posts, a social media tip sheet, and a mock webpage
 
Some of these resources can be personalized for an agency, printed, and carried by officers as a way to easily pass information to the victim.
 
For more information about this project or questions about materials and resources, please contact Julia Holtemeyer at the IACP.

EVAWI Training Bulletin
Read the training bulletin.
New EVAWI Training Bulletin Explores the Question of Bias in Sexual Assault Interviews
 
As professionals and the public become aware of the Start by Believing philosophy, they have asked important questions: Is Start by Believing just another form of bias? Does it replace the historic bias against victims with a new bias against suspects? The new End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) training bulletin, Interviews with Victims vs. Suspects: Start by Believing and the Question of Bias, addresses such questions, with particular focus on criminal justice professionals, especially sexual assault investigators.

As few as one in five victims report their sexual assault, resulting in them not receiving the help they need. Those victims who have reported their sexual assaults risked encountering unwarranted skepticism from friends and family members, as well as responding professionals. The training bulletin  provides examples of this historical bias as well as measures that have been taken to help recognize and reduce it.

EVAWI Chief Executive Officer Sgt. Joanne Archambault (retired, San Diego Police Department) and EVAWI Director of Research Dr. Kimberly A. Lonsway authored this training bulletin. Their goal is to inform criminal justice professionals and others about the Start by Believing philosophy and its relevance for victim and suspect interviews. Ultimately, Start by Believing is an approach to conducting thorough, professional, and unbiased investigations. This international campaign has been adopted by more than 360 communities in the U.S. and globally, and is changing the way law enforcement, campus practitioners, victim advocates, health care providers, and other professionals and loved ones respond when a victim reports that they were sexually assaulted.

For additional information and resources on law enforcement's response to and investigation of sexual assault, visit EVAWI's Online Training Institute for a list of free training modules, access their online library, and visit our resource library and use search tags "criminal investigations" or "sexual assault."

Professional Development Opportunities

Title: Academic Freedom on Trial: Recent Developments in the Relationship between Academic Freedom and Free Speech
Organization: Husch Blackwell
Date: November 29, 2018 at 12:00 PM CT
Location: Online
Fee: Registration fee
 
Title: 16th National Indian Nations Conference: Justice for Victims of Crime
Organization: Office for Victims of Crime
Dates: December 5-7, 2018
Location: Agua Caliente Reservation, CA
Fee: Registration fee
 
Title: Introduction to the Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview
Organization: Certified FETI
Dates: January 7-8, 2019
Location: New York, NY
Fee: Registration fee

For additional trainings and events, access our searchable online calendar

Virtual Professional Development
Through our Virtual Professional Development initiative, you can access free, online educational opportunities.
Campus Public Safety Online
Learn about our free webinar series, register for upcoming webinars, and view archived recordings on demand.
Emerging Issues Forum Reports
Download, print, and share findings from critical issues forums of campus public safety leaders, subject matter experts, and practitioners.

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This project was supported by Grant No. 2013-MU-BX-K011 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.
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