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Victim advocate reports increased services and heavier case workloads in Syracuse
Summary
Syracuse's victim advocate told the council the number of victims served rose year over year and that advocates are spending more time per victim, with domestic violence the largest local victimization category. The report included service breakdowns and a survivor support story.
Celeste, Syracuse’s victim advocate for Syracuse, Clinton and Sunset City, reported to the council that the office saw an overall increase in victims served in the current fiscal year compared with FY25 and a substantial rise in services provided per victim.
Celeste said the office tracks three main service types — information and referrals, emotional and safety planning, and criminal-justice assistance — and that one victim can receive multiple services across categories. Although a small decline in total victims served was evident in one jurisdiction on the slide, Celeste explained that the total service volume rose because staff are spending more time with each case.
“Domestic violence is still the number-one victimization category I focus on,” Celeste said, adding that those cases are more likely to go to court and therefore require greater advocacy and notification efforts. She identified stalking, harassment and child physical abuse/neglect as other leading categories for Syracuse this year.
Celeste closed by sharing a current survivor story to illustrate impact: she described supporting a female domestic-violence survivor through a lengthy emergency-room forensic exam and subsequent interviews, and said the survivor later returned with flowers to thank the advocate and investigators for their compassion and help.
The council thanked Celeste for the report. No formal action was taken; staff noted the presentation will inform future budgeting and service planning.
