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Victim advocate reports 381 victims served across three cities in FY24; city awaits VAWA grant decision for part-time position
Summary
Celeste Hawkins, Sunset-area victim advocate, reported FY24 service data for three cities (381 victims served in total), said domestic violence cases were the largest share, and said she recently submitted a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant seeking a part-time position that would expand coverage if funded.
Celeste Hawkins, the victim advocate who serves Sunset and two neighboring cities, presented her FY24 service summary to the Sunset City Council on March 18 and described an ongoing grant application under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Hawkins told the council that across the three cities she recorded 381 victims served in FY24: 260 female, 108 male, and 13 not reported. She said 251 of those cases were domestic-violence matters, the largest category of victimization she handled.
“We've been seeing an increase on other types of victimization with how fast Davis County is growing. DV has definitely has been on the rise,” Hawkins said. She said many cases require criminal-justice advocacy because they involve court proceedings and notifications.
Hawkins said she submitted a VAWA grant last week that, if awarded, would fund a part-time advocate working 25 hours per week focused on domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence. She said VAWA funding requires a local match; for Sunset the billing percentage used in cost allocations is 19.1 percent and VAWA requires a 25 percent split match. Hawkins said she expected to know the award status by mid-May.
Chief Jamieson of the Sunset police department clarified that Hawkins’s case counts reflect victims she served and that felony-level victim advocacy is handled by the county Davis County victim advocate; Hawkins’s work is tied primarily to Justice Court-related matters.
Why it matters: a funded VAWA position would expand victim services and help Hawkins manage caseload peaks, especially for domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking cases. The grant’s success would require a local match and coordination among the three cities that share the advocate.
Selected data points Hawkins presented - Total victims served (three cities, FY24): 381 (female 260; male 108; not reported 13). - Domestic violence cases: 251 (largest category across cities). - Other categories mentioned: adult physical assault (23), adult sexual assault (38), stalking/harassment (33). - Services provided most frequently: criminal-justice information, victim-rights information, court-notification updates, crisis intervention and referrals to regional resources (Safe Harbor, victim reparation programs).
Grant details - Hawkins submitted a VAWA grant application; if awarded the part-time position would begin July 1 (FY26) and require a 25 percent local match. Sunset’s current billing share in the joint service arrangement is 19.1 percent; Hawkins said she has discussed allocation details with the police chief and will provide exact match figures if the grant is awarded.
Quotes “The total number of victims I was able to get to was 381 victims… Female, 260. Male, 108. Not reported 13.” — Celeste Hawkins, Victim Advocate
“We've been seeing an increase on other types of victimization with how fast Davis County is growing. DV has definitely has been on the rise.” — Celeste Hawkins, Victim Advocate
Chief Jamieson: “Those numbers were obviously just this year's, and that's just her resources that she's actually reached out upon. So that's not saying we've only had 8 domestics…anything she does with us is through the Justice Court.”
Ending Hawkins asked council members to note the upcoming potential VAWA award and to raise questions about the local match if the grant is awarded. She said she attends the Sunset office on Thursdays and will provide a more detailed report via email upon request.
