NCJ Number
194006
Date Published
2002
Length
110 pages
Annotation
This document discusses police victim assistance programs.
Abstract
Some law enforcement agencies have created a community network of assistance to victims of crime. A number of departments have established law enforcement victim assistance (LEVA) units, dedicated to either all victims or victims of specific crimes such as family violence. Other departments have developed protocols for interfacing with service providers in the community or other government agencies to assure that victims are treated rapidly. Chapter 1 gives some basic findings of what constitutes the practices of small and medium-sized department surveys; summarizes emerging victim advocate dimensions of various professional roles in law enforcement; describes critical elements that should guide law enforcement agencies in adopting victim-oriented practices; and offers criteria to assess law enforcement efforts to be responsive to victims. Chapter 2 describes the promising practices found in surveys. Chapter 3 suggests ways to promote a receptive police culture in order to initiate victim-oriented changes in a department; and offers supplementary implementation suggestions, such as funding and training. Chapter 4 describes the three surveys and some of their findings. Some of the findings are: a continuum of victim assistance is necessary to respond to the needs of crime victims; responding skillfully and brokering services for the victim from other agencies are two main responsibilities of law enforcement officers; victim assistance programs are a very effective tool to strengthen ties between law enforcement and the community; and the use of law enforcement victim assistance units are an excellent antidote to the stress of an officer’s wanting to help and not having the time to do so. 5 appendices