Guthrie Police receives funding for 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

The Guthrie Police Department Victim Services Program has received funding from the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, to promote community awareness of crime victims’ rights and services during the 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

The awarded funding will be used to promote Touch the Trucks, Family Fun and Safety Festival as part of a Community Awareness Project in Logan County. The event will take place at Guthrie High School on April 30th, 2023, from Noon-3 pm. The Project is part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, an annual observance that takes place April 23-29, 2023.

“The support from NAVAA and OVC for our 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities will help us help crime victims,” said Patricia Mutters, Victim Advocate.  “Members of our community are encouraged to help promote justice through service to crime victims by joining our 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities and supporting victim assistance programs on a daily basis.”

First designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week increases general public awareness of, and knowledge about the wide range of rights and services available to people who have been victimized by crime.  The theme for 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Survivor Voices:  Elevate, Engage, Effect Change”.

Since 2004, the NCVRW Community Awareness Project has provided financial and technical assistance to more than 1500 community projects that promote victim and public awareness activities, and innovative approaches to victim outreach and public education about victims’ rights and services during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. The Guthrie Police Department Victim Services Program was one of the 89 recommended by NAVAA and selected for funding by OVC for 2023 from the 151 applications that were submitted nationwide.         

The National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators is a non-profit organization that represents the 56 state agencies that distribute money from the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Crime Victims Fund to more than 4,000 direct victim assistance service providers. The money in the Crime Victims Fund comes from fines collected from offenders convicted of federal crimes and not from U.S. taxpayers. For information about national efforts to promote 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, please visit the Office for Victims of Crime website at www.ovc.gov.

Guthrie Police Department Victim Advocates provide supportive services to victims of all violent crimes in Logan County.  A violent crime is defined as “Any crime in which an offender uses force upon a victim” such as: domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, child abuse, assault and battery, elder abuse, human trafficking, DUI/DWI, immediate family members of homicide, robbery, and other violent crimes.

Services are free, voluntary, and highly confidential. You DO NOT have to file a police report or speak to a police officer to receive services.

Victim advocates are professionals trained to support victims of crime.  Advocates are not part of the criminal investigation process and are for the benefit of the victim. A victim advocate can help with identifying a path to recovery before and beyond the initiation of the criminal or legal process.  Advocates can offer the victim information about different options available to them and support the victims’ informed decision-making process.

For additional information about 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities or about victims’ rights and services in Logan County, please contact the Victim Advocates at the Guthrie Police Department (405) 282-3535 or [email protected].