NCJ Number
113836
Date Published
2000
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This document describes the National Sheriffs' Association Victim Assistance Program Evaluation and provides the requisite survey instrument.
Abstract
The evaluation, designed for agencies with victim assistance programs, will help sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies examine their current policies and procedures to ensure they exemplify the needed sensitivity in dealing with crime victims. The telephone survey should be used with a randomly selected cross-section of victims reported through the agency office. A 25-percent sample of these victims should complete the survey each quarter of the year. Questions in the survey cover aspects of law enforcement response such as response time, perceived interest and concern of the officer, information supplied, and followup contacts. Others deal with the seizure and return of property, attitudes toward court proceedings, and disposition of the case. Also examined are the victim's attitude toward the response of the victim assistance program, the types of services rendered, and areas for improvement. Finally, several questions deal with agency crime prevention activities. The survey has 41 items and includes a sample letter advising victims of the survey's purpose and requesting their participation.