Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is observed as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office is using this time to share information with our community about domestic violence in our region, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner announced.

“Domestic violence knows no boundaries.  It impacts every segment of our population, women, men, elderly, children, all races, and every socio-economic group.  The one common theme is control and how abusers exercise it over their victims.  Take a moment to understand what domestic violence looks like in your community.  Notice the signs and let’s work together to end it,” Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said.

From January 2020 to present, the ACPO Office of Victim Witness Advocacy is assisting 1,577 new domestic violence victim cases. The ACPO Office of Victim Witness Advocacy works directly with the victims of domestic violence as well as community organizations to assist and support clients.

ACPO Domestic Violence Victim Cases 2016-2019:

2016: 766
2017: 1583
2018: 1572
2019: 2007

These Domestic Violence Victim Cases can include: warranted domestic violence disorderly offenses, violation of restraining orders and indictable offenses.

ACPO services provided to victims of domestic violence include:

• Crisis intervention, with referrals to counseling for themselves and their children to address the chronic trauma, control issues.
• Social service referrals and advocacy. Clients need to know what agencies are available in the community to help them, and how they can access those services.
• Criminal justice advocacy/explanation of the criminal and family court process. Includes explaining why the police have to arrest in certain DV offenses, why the prosecutor’s office pursues DV cases, and discussing safety plans.
• Court accompaniment to provide advocacy and emotional support
• Advising victims of their rights as a DV victim, including their right to request a restraining order and explaining how a restraining order may assist them
• Notifying victims of court dates, outcomes
• Information about the VINE system so victims can be notified when an offender’s custody status changes
• Transportation to court to provide their Victim Impact Statement (if needed)
• Assistance with their Victim Impact statement, and request for restitution
• Facilitating HIV testing of offenders in certain sexual assault/DV cases
• Victims of Crime Compensation Office assistance, including advising the victim of the financial reimbursement and assistance/support they can receive from the VCCO-relocation assistance, loss of support, reimbursement for medical/counseling and other expenses; assistance with completing the VCCO application, advocacy on their behalf to the VCCO.