Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day Is May 5
In his proclamation, President Biden states “On Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, we honor the individuals missing and the lives lost, and we recommit to working with Tribal Nations to end the violence and inequities that drive this crisis, delivering safety and healing.”
The Department of Justice has made it a priority to address the disproportionately high rates of violence experienced by Native Americans, and relatedly, the high rates of indigenous persons reported missing. MMIP Awareness Day is a time to renew our commitment to ensuring that resources are available to solve missing persons cases in Tribal and Native communities and providing services to victims and their families.
Visit the MMIP Outreach section of our Tribal Victim Services Training and Technical Assistance (T-VSTTA) microsite and National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center’s website for resources to help your organization raise public awareness.
Also visit our Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons page to discover resources to help your organization support survivors. Discover publications, state resources, programs, and videos such as the following:
- Missing or Murdered Indigenous People: Bringing Loved Ones Home
Learn about the MMIP crisis in this video. Grassroots efforts on behalf of MMIP are working to increase national awareness and understanding of the issue.
- When a Loved One Goes Missing: Resources for Families of Missing American Indian and Alaska Native Adults
This guide provides information and practical resources to assist family members and friends with the search for a missing adult loved one.
- The Tribal Resource Tool
This OVC-funded online directory features contact information for service providers throughout the Nation that offer crime victim services to American Indian and Alaska Native survivors.
- U.S. Department of Justice: Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons
This site highlights efforts by the Department to address the disproportionately high rates of violence experienced by Native Americans, and relatedly, the high rates of Indigenous persons reported missing.
- Response of the Departments of Justice and the Interior to Not One More: Findings and Recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission
This document outlines the commitment of the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Justice to address the MMIP and human trafficking crisis. The response addresses the Commission’s areas of concern, while recognizing that more must be done across the federal government to resolve this longstanding crisis and support healing from the generational traumas that Indigenous peoples have endured throughout the history of the United States.
- Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program: Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons
Tribes and organizations that receive funding under the FY 2024 OVC Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program (TVSSA Program) can use their funds to provide services to the family members of MMIP victims, generate awareness of MMIP among community members, in general, and for individual MMIP cases, and collaborate with Tribal, federal, and state and local officials to respond to MMIP cases.
During a 6-month period (July to December 2023), TVSSA grantees reported using their funds to support 80 family members of missing persons by providing information and referrals, emotional support, assistance with the justice system, and other direct services; and they conducted almost 200 events to generate awareness of the MMIP crisis in their communities.
- National Human Trafficking Hotline
This national, toll free hotline, operates 24/7. Contact the hotline to report a tip; connect with victim services in your area; or request training and technical assistance, general information, or specific anti-trafficking resources. Contact the hotline by phone at 888-373-7888, by text at 233733, or live chat.
- StrongHearts Native Helpline
This helpline offers 24/7 culturally appropriate support and advocacy to American Indians and Alaska Natives who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. Contact the helpline by phone or text at 844-7NATIVE (844-762-8483) or live chat.
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
NCMEC has a national, toll free hotline (800-843-5678) to report missing children. NCMEC case managers are available to work directly with families and Tribal law enforcement agencies investigating missing children’s cases. Learn about the work of Team Adam and view a NCMEC blog for more information about resources and technical assistance for Native American communities.
Older Americans Month
In his Older Americans Month proclamation, President Biden states, “This month, we celebrate their immense contributions to our country and stand firm in our efforts to ensure that every American can age with the dignity and financial security that they deserve.”
During Older Americans Month, we highlight the National Elder Fraud Hotline, which has been in operation by OVC for 4 years.
Launched in March 2020, the Hotline offers experienced hotline case managers to provide victims of financial fraud ages 60 or older with personalized support by assessing their needs and identifying relevant next steps. Since the Hotline opened, they have received over 121,000 calls, averaging 83 calls a day.
Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday.
We also highlight the Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker that allows the public to report attempted or successful scams online. Submissions are first vetted, and legitimate reports are then posted for the public to search. Reports may be shared with third parties such as regulatory agencies, law enforcement, or other appropriate organizations for investigation.
View publications and multimedia products to help the field provide effective services to victims of elder abuse and financial exploitation. These materials, funded by OVC and hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, include the following and more:
- Strategies and Training to Advance Greater Elder Safety: This curriculum educates teams of judicial, justice, and community professionals about financial exploitation and elder abuse.
- Elder Abuse Fatality Review Teams: A Replication Manual: This manual provides guidance to communities on establishing elder abuse fatality review teams that examine deaths caused by or related to elder abuse.
- Lifting Up the Voices of Older Survivors Videos: This collection of nine training videos and accompanying discussion guides features the voices of older survivors describing their experiences and insights regarding effective interventions.
Discover additional resources for organizations responding to elder abuse on the Elder Justice Initiative website and the Elder Fraud and Abuse section of the OVC website.
National Police Week
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. This year, National Police Week is May 12–18, 2024—a time to support law enforcement communities and honor officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Fraternal Order of Police/Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary, and Concerns of Police Survivors annually lead the Nation in commemorating National Police Week.
Register to attend a Candlelight Vigil to honor fallen law enforcement officers on Monday, May 13, 2024, at 8:00 p.m., eastern time on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. View the National Police Week webpage for a schedule of all events.
This month, we highlight the following resources for law enforcement.
Our partners at the Bureau of Justice Assistance administer the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program. This program provides death and education benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders, and disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance also administers the VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Initiative, an effort to improve the immediate and long-term safety, wellness, and resilience of our Nation’s law enforcement officers. The goal of the program is to provide law enforcement personnel with the necessary tools to return home safe and well after every shift. The VALOR Initiative offers training and resources for every level of law enforcement.
The OVC Support for Law Enforcement flier showcases OVC’s support for programs that help law enforcement personnel compassionately and effectively meet the needs of crime victims. Featured resources include the following:
- The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit can help law enforcement agencies strengthen their ability to address work-related exposure to trauma.
- The International Association of Chiefs of Police, with funding from OVC, developed the Vicarious Trauma Response Initiative to identify and develop skills and practices needed to promote healthy, comprehensive, and sustained collaborative approaches that buffer and mitigate the negative effects of vicarious trauma. Register to take the Vicarious Trauma Response Initiative online training series.
- Under the Fostering Resilience and Hope: Bridging the Gap Between Law Enforcement and the Community program, OVC is supporting the development of a Community of Practice (CoP), a system of critical inquiry and reflection focused on building shared learning over time.
In 2022, the CoP identified 25 law enforcement agencies to work on a hope-centered framework to assist law enforcement officers with addressing trauma and adversity to repair and rebuild relationships within the community. An evaluation is being conducted and will produce a final report showcasing best practice.
Visit the Law Enforcement section of our site for additional resources.