Victim/Witness Services: The Police Perspective (From Victim/Witness Programs: Human Services of the 80s, P 14-35, Emilio Viano, ed., as reprinted in National Symposium on Sexual Assault, January 23-28, 1984 See NCJ-114756)

• NCJ Number: 114757
• Author(s): H O'Reilly
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 22 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Victim and witness assistance programs created to help those who have been victimized by crime sometimes fail because their personnel have not worked with police officers.

Abstract

Still other programs have not worked because police and police management have not supported their efforts. Law enforcement officers are often not trained or poorly prepared to deal with victims and witnesses in a positive way. Successful programs developed by the police departments of Rochester, New York and Hamden, Connecticut are discussed in detail. The qualities possessed by these successful programs are specifically identified and include good planning and positive support from police administrators. Two appendixes deal with training law enforcement personnel in professional conduct toward victims and the special needs of sex crime and elderly victims as well as survivors of victims of sudden death or homicide. 9 footnotes.