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Council hears VOCA-funded victim-services update; coordinator highlights expanded legal advocacy and recent case outcome
Summary
The city heard a presentation from the victim services coordinator on VOCA funds (~$114,000), services offered (protective orders, safety planning, court accompaniment, emergency aid) and a recent case that resulted in guilty pleas and a 90‑day jail sentence plus monitoring for the defendant.
At the June 18 work meeting, the city’s victim services coordinator (based in the prosecutor’s office) briefed the council on services funded by VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) for July 2025–June 2026. The coordinator said the program received approximately $114,000 in VOCA funds, which support partial salaries, benefits and emergency/housing assistance for victims.
She outlined typical services: safety planning when protective orders are not available, assistance obtaining protective orders (including limited civil-court navigation), accompaniment to court and law-enforcement interviews, help preparing victim‑impact statements, restitution assistance and referrals to community resources. The coordinator said the program must report quarterly to VOCA and collaborate with partners such as Safe Harbor and the Davis County Attorney’s Office.
The presenter described completing Community Justice Advocates training (limited legal representation for protective-order matters), enabling advocates to help draft applications and sit with victims during hearings. She recounted a recent unlawful-distribution/voyeurism case in which the defendant pleaded guilty; the judge imposed 90 days in jail, a lifetime protective order, probation with intensive monitoring and treatment—an outcome the victim and staff had sought.
Why it matters: The presentation underscores local use of federal victim-assistance funding to provide services that help victims navigate criminal and civil processes and secure safety supports. The new limited‑representation training expands the practical help advocates can give victims facing complex protective‑order proceedings.
Follow-up: The coordinator offered to pull year‑over‑year domestic‑violence statistics for council review; staff also tracks quarterly VOCA reporting requirements.
