Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2020, $825,000)
This grant award made to the City of Houston, is funded under OVC FY 2020 Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program Purpose Area 3: Large Agency, which is designed to develop or enhance and sustain crime victim specialist programs within law enforcement agencies and better coordinate services to victims to more quickly and more effectively serve the victim assistance and compensation needs of all crime victims and inform them of their rights as crime victims. The Houston Police Department (HPD) Houston Crime Victim Emergency Response program is a mobile crisis intervention response for victims of violent crimes that provides immediate, on-scene, trauma-informed care to inspire victims' trust in the criminal justice system. The program's overarching goal is to enhance HPD's existing victim advocate program by employing three victim advocates to work during critical nighttime hours when few other victim resources are available. Under this award, the grantee will recruit, train, equip, and deploy three victim advocates to work five nights per week within 90 days of grant award; and provide immediate, on-scene response to victims of violent crimes. Advocates will employ victim-centered, trauma-informed approaches to address the critical needs of victims: safety, support, information, access, continuity, voice and justice. (CA/NCF)