CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: March 13, 2024
Agenda Date: March 26, 2024
Prepared By: Joanna Tabor, Victim Advocate Coordinator
Through: Evander Collier, IV, Chief of Police
Requested Action:
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To provide approval for the City to apply for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Grant Cycle 2023-2024, for salaries, benefits and operating costs for the Victim's Advocate Program, in order to provide victim advocate services to crime victims along with operating budget for supplies.
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BACKGROUND:
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has announced the availability of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant funds from the U.S. Department of Justice. The purpose of the VOCA grant funds is to support victims of crime by providing services that respond to the emotional and physical needs of crime victims, assist victims of crime to stabilize their lives after victimization, assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system, and to provide victims of crime with a measure of safety and security.
The Cocoa Police Department is committed to reducing crime in Cocoa by strengthening our citizen's understanding of victimization. A victim advocate devotes attention to the various needs of the victim by acting as a liaison with officers, keeping the victim informed on their case, and arms them with knowledge to reduce the potential for further harm.
The funding for this project would be a necessity in providing further assistance to victims of crime in Cocoa. According to the Cocoa Police Department's report of crimes from 2023, there were 4,423 reports of those, including 277 Domestic Violence related offenses. In FY2022-2023 the Cocoa Police Department's Victim Services unit served 798 victims of crime with a majority of the focus being on violent crime and domestic violence. Out of the 1,616 total number of victims during the FY22/23 grant cycle, we anticipate that approximately 30% of those victims were not crime victims or were...
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