Title
Resolution to Accept and Appropriate 2017 V-STOP Grant Funding Awarded by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to the Commonwealth's Attorney to Continue the Hampton Domestic Violence Community Unified Response Effort ("CURE")
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this resolution is to accept and appropriate federal grant funds and certain in-kind services to permit continuation of the Commonwealth's Attorney Violence Against Women's Act prosecution program.
Discussion:
In 1994, the United States Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act ("VAWA") as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. VAWA includes the Services, Training, Officers, Prosecution ("STOP") grant program. The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services administers the STOP Violence Against Women grant in Virginia, known as "V-STOP." V-STOP offers grant funds to successful applicants for activities which increase the apprehension, prosecution, and adjudication of persons committing violent crimes against women. In 2015, the Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney applied for multi-year grant funding to support the VAWA prosecution program which is part of the Hampton Domestic Violence Community Unified Response Effort ("CURE"). The grant runs on a three (3) year cycle (in this case 2016-2018), and must be reviewed each year. The first award was received for 2016 (See Hampton City Council File No. 15-0369; Resolution adopted December 9, 2015).
Continuation of the VAWA prosecution program will allow the Commonwealth's Attorney to retain an established position for a dedicated domestic violence prosecutor to prosecute all cases of domestic violence. The VAWA prosecution program provides a special victim advocate and comprehensive training for law enforcement officers. Additionally, through that program, the Domestic Violence Work Group ("DVWG") was established to review existing policies and procedures and to expand and coordina...
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