NCJ Number
98023
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 52 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1985) Pages: 54-57,60
Date Published
1985
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Six articles describe the services provided by victim/witness assistance programs, their benefits to law enforcement agencies, one police department's efforts to secure the rights of victims and witnesses, the response of two community's agencies to the problem of domestic violence, and the recruiting and training of a police chaplain corps in Detroit.
Abstract
A description of victim-witness assistance programs notes that they provide six general types of services: emergency services, counseling, advocacy and support services, claims assistance, court-related services, and systemwide services. Their efforts are described as reducing police stress, permitting a faster return to beat or patrol duty, providing additional or better evidence, and producing cost savings. The Victim Intervention Program in Nashville, Tenn., is described as helping victims overcome their psychological trauma in a way that should serve as a model for other law enforcement agencies. The Crime Victim's Impact Statement, developed by the Greendale Police Department (Wisconsin), is described. Wisconsin's Bill of Rights for Victims and Witnesses is also presented. The program in Bellevue, Wash., to provide uniform and effective early responses to domestic violence cases is outlined, as is a program in Phoenix, Ariz., designed to help families cope with stress and reduce family disturbances. Differences between the role of police chaplain and other clerical roles are explained; steps involved in recruiting and training Detroit's police chaplains are detailed.