Victim Services
Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services (LEV)
Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV)
People who experience victimization are often not prepared for the way it will impact their lives. Many times, they are not aware of their rights, how the criminal justice system works, or what type of resources are available to support or compensate them and their families. Law enforcement is uniquely positioned to connect those who have experienced victimization with victim services – leading to enhanced trust and confidence and overall improvement of quality of life and community relationships.
Infusion of victim services into law enforcement response may help prepare victims to participate in the criminal justice system more effectively and empower them to engage with professionals and services aimed at responding to their unique identified needs.
Policy Center Resources
See AllChild Abuse
Child abuse and neglect have been traditionally regarded as the principal responsibility of child protective services and social welfare agencies. However, research has demonstrated that a...
Death Notification
Law enforcement agencies should require that all officers become familiar with the concepts and procedures regarding death notification so as to provide surviving family members with sufficient useful...
Hate Crimes
Any acts or threats of violence, property damage, harassment, intimidation, or other crimes motivated by hate and bias and designed to infringe upon the rights...
Victims of Crime*
As first responders, law enforcement personnel are uniquely positioned to provide trauma-informed care and support to victims of crime as required by law. These efforts can...
Resources
Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services – Template Package V: Training
All victim services personnel—supervisors, direct services staff, student interns, and volunteers—benefit from comprehensive, specialized training. Whether victim services staff are hired with significant advocacy experience...
Victim Response Training Templates
Victim response training should be institutionalized at all agencies so personnel have a foundational knowledge of victim-centered, trauma-informed practices. Trained personnel working with victims should...
Baseline and Follow-Up Surveys
Surveys can be a cost-effective tool to gather information from multiple stakeholders (e.g., internal agency personnel, crime victims, community members, community partners). Demographics, attitudes, victimization...
Communication with Victims (Agencies without Victim Services Personnel)
Words used to talk to and about victims are vitally important. Agencies are encouraged to adopt victim-centered, trauma-informed language as part of ELERV Strategy implementation...
