Centers Put Victims' Needs First

June 4, 2011
lohud.com

When the "Spirit of Rockland" Special Victims Center opened its doors last week, it was a breakthrough on two fronts:

• Everything was donated to create the space — from the original building to the construction of the rooms to the furniture. Taxpayers weren't on the hook for purchasing a single chair.

• The center demonstrated a real commitment to put victims' needs first. It is the right step from an ethical and prosecutorial standpoint: stronger victims make stronger cases.

Instead of directing a victim to several locations for help — such as a police station, hospital, social services office and grand jury room — many services will be consolidated in the 3,000-square-foot building at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern.

The building's location, on the grounds of a hospital, gives quick access to medical and mental health support. Interviews with police, prosecutors, social workers and others take place in the comfortable rooms at the center. Agencies that offer victims support, like Rockland Family Shelter, can meet with clients there.

"From a prosecution standpoint, we've learned that the stronger you keep your victim, the stronger your prosecution," Detective Lt. Mary Murphy of the Rockland District Attorney's Office told staff writer James O'Rourke Wednesday at the center's opening. Murphy, the center's director, explained: "This is one way of making the system a little softer and gentler."

Next step
Police have long used multidisciplinary teams to concentrate on solving and prosecuting these kinds of crimes.

Centers that consolidate services for special victims are the next step.

Westchester's Family Justice Center opened a year ago. Located in White Plains and administered by Westchester County's Office for Women, the center offers counseling, legal and other support services. Victims won't have to go from place to place, repeatedly recounting their stories of abuse. Participating agencies include My Sister's Place, Pace Women's Justice Center and the Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention. (Appointments can be made by calling 914-995-3100.)

"We recognize that some people don't trust police," center director Ken Donato, a retired Ossining town police chief and member of the Westchester County Domestic Violence Council, told The Journal News.

The center has victim advocates — including those who are bilingual — who specialize in issues related to stalking, elder abuse, disabled victims and immigrants.

Trust strengthens investigations. For example, apparent prostitution cases can reveal human sex trafficking rings, law enforcement officials say, if victims feel safe enough to speak the truth about their circumstances.

The Spirit of Rockland and Westchester Family Justice centers strengthen public safety by providing another tool for law enforcement.

A Journal News editorial