Domestic Violence

The Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program implements certain provisions of the Violence Against Women Act, which was enacted in September of 1994 as Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and reauthorized in the Violence Against Women Act of 2000. The program enhances victim safety and offender accountability in cases of domestic violence and dating violence by encouraging jurisdictions to implement mandatory and pro-arrest policies as an effective domestic violence intervention that is part of a coordinated community response. An integral component of Arrest Program initiatives is the creation and enhancement of collaborative partnerships between criminal justice agencies, victims' services providers, and community organizations which respond to domestic violence.

In January of 2005, the Greene County Prosecutor's Office, in collaboration with the Greene County Commission, The Victim Center, The Greene County Sheriff's Department, the Springfield Police Department, the Family Violence Center, Inc., as well as many other community partners, applied for a federal grant through the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. In August of 2005, we were awarded a grant for $251,536 for a two year period. With the award of the grant we have established a centralized team, called the Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT), to investigate and prosecute domestic violence offenders. The project is also designed to ensure that victims of domestic violence are aware of and have access to advocacy services.

Through this initial award, the project funds: 1) one dedicated domestic violence detective housed with the Greene County Sheriff's Department; 2) one dedicated domestic violence advocate housed with the Victim Center; 3) one paralegal housed with the Greene County Prosecutor's Office working a domestic violence caseload, and also serving as the grant administrator, providing oversight for the project; 4) digital cameras for improved documentation of domestic violence incidents; and 5) various expenses for victims of domestic violence in crisis, such as; cell phones, changed locks on their homes, or transportation to counseling.