Learn what you can do to help crime victims
If you’ve only learned about criminal justice from TV and movies, you’d understandably assume that a district attorney’s office is just a group of attorneys spending their days making arguments in court. And, certainly, there is a lot of that. But while those prosecutors are the ones publicly advocating on behalf of our community, behind the scenes there is a team of equally passionate and dedicated members of DA offices quietly supporting those public successes. Among their many essential functions is the tireless work they do to support victims of crime.
Our Victim Advocate team at the District Attorney’s Office for the 8th Judicial District consists of trained victim support staff engaged in the daily work of providing direct services to victims who are often experiencing some of the worst days of their lives when they enter the courthouse. In 2023, our office served 5,466 victims, including child victims, victims of sexual assault and victims of domestic violence, all of whom may be experiencing significant trauma. Our advocates provide guidance and support through the complex legal system. They are the nexus between attorneys and victims for input about the resolution of a case and what the case status is. They, along with our courtroom facility dog, Zion, work to make a trial and other case events — an inherently difficult and sometimes traumatic process — as comfortable as possible. They work with victims to secure restitution (over $2 million in restitution for crime victims in the 8th Judicial District was collected in 2023) and Crime Victims Compensation.
Quite simply, prosecutors could not do their jobs in the courtroom holding the perpetrators of violent crimes accountable if not for the bravery of victims who come forward and the support from our victim advocates. Without these services, fewer victims would come forward to report crimes and fewer would recover successfully. While “Law and Order” may not depict many victim advocates, they are the unsung heroes of criminal justice.
April 21-27 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. As part of our efforts, we are working to highlight the incredible stories of survival, courage and perseverance of victims, as well as extend well-deserved recognition to the advocates — at the DA office, at law enforcement agencies, at many indispensable non-profit partners and all those in our strong Larimer community — who stand up to support victims of crime.
The theme of the 2024 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “How Would You Help?” If you’d like to learn more about what you can do locally, I’d encourage you to reach out to a nonprofit engaged in victim advocacy and support victims of crimes in our community.