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04/10/2008: "Crime Victims’ Rights Week"

April 13 through the 19th is “National Crime Victims’ week in San Juan County. On Tuesday the San Juan County Council read a proclamation, and presented the document to representatives of the local Crime Victims Services program (photo above)

Prosecutor Randall Gaylord presented a video describing the history of efforts to grant crime victims the right to participate in the criminal justice system; a “right” afforded those who commit crimes, but until recently there was little to no attention paid to the victims and the families of victims.




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Gaylord told the council that while the numbers are smaller here, the crimes are the same as anywhere else in America: “San Juan County has to deal with all of the types of crimes you have anywhere else,” One positive note, he said, is that there are fewer violent crimes in San Juan County, however of the 142 clients handled by the Crime Victims Services program more than one third were related to domestic violence. Anita Castle of Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Services added that the agency she heads sees many women who do not report their abuse to law enforcement agencies and noted that it’s estimated that only one in ten domestic abuse victims contacts police. She urged the council to help raise public awareness to the problem.

The Crime Victims Services program provides support for victims of crime ranging from assistance in getting restitution from criminals, to finding safe, emergency housing for the victims of crime.

The Council Proclamation concluded,”[We] Express our appreciation for those victims and crime survivors who have turned personal tragedy into a motivating force to improve our response to victims of crime and build a more just community.”