#Cornerstone40 Spotlights
Cornerstone was founded in 1983 by a group of dedicated volunteers who recognized the need for domestic violence services in the Hennepin County suburbs. This was a time before significant public funding for domestic violence services and a time when this issue was rarely even discussed. Since these forward-thinking and caring volunteers started Cornerstone, we have expanded in size, scope and geographic footprint.
Our 40th anniversary is a chance to honor those who made this growth possible: volunteers, donors, board members, staff, partners, and the community. It is also an opportunity to reflect back on the strength and accomplishments of our agency and those we serve.
Cornerstone has many types of partners that help in our mission to create communities where individuals and families are safe and children thrive. This month, we would like to highlight our partnership with a local law enforcement agency, the Brooklyn Center Police Department.
Ten Years of Partnership with the Brooklyn Center Police Department
Through our Criminal and Civil Justice Intervention Services (CCJI) program, Cornerstone provides advocacy and support for participants before, during, and after any criminal or civil hearings, writes and files Orders for Protection, helps create safety plans, and much more. In 2022 alone, Cornerstone’s CCJI program provided 306 participants with civil advocacy, 2,011 with criminal justice advocacy, 2,178 with legal advocacy, and 150 with orders for protection across our service area.
The CCJI program needs and has a strong partnership with local law enforcement agencies to do this work, including with the Brooklyn Center Police Department who has been a Cornerstone partner for more than 10 years. Cornerstone Advocates are able to provide these resources and services by the way we receive police incident reports from the Brooklyn Center Records Division.
When a report is taken by an officer, it is turned in to the Records division, where it is processed and submitted to a domestic violence advocacy group, such as Cornerstone, and/or the City or County Prosecutor for criminal charges. The Records Division also ensures proper storage, laboratory testing, and chain-of-custody are completed for evidence related to the case.
This month, the Brooklyn Center Police Department went above and beyond in their partnership with their generous donation of personal care items and school supplies. These are two donations that Cornerstone had an immediate need for and will be used to directly assist victim/survivors and child participants of Cornerstone.
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