COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

 

DATE:

December 4, 2009

BOARD MEETING DATE:

December 15, 2009

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

James P. Fox, District Attorney

SUBJECT:

Application for Renewal of the Victim/Witness Grant

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a resolution authorizing the District Attorney to submit a grant application in the amount of $380,081 to the California Emergency Management Agency for funding for its Victim/Witness Assistance Program for FY 2009-10 and to execute the Grant Award Agreement to receive such funds.

 

BACKGROUND:

In 1974, the Probation Department submitted a grant proposal to the California Office of Criminal Justice Planning (OCJP), requesting funds to operate a Victim/Witness Program. We have received funding and the Board has authorized the submission of a grant application every year since 1974. In February 2002, the Victim/Witness Program became a division of the District Attorney’s Office. The program offers comprehensive assistance to victims and witnesses of violent crimes. The California Office of Criminal Justice Planning administered the program since it was implemented, however, effective January 1, 2004, the grant award was transferred to the California Office of Emergency Services (OES). On January 1, 2009, the California Office of Emergency Services and the California Office of Homeland Security merged into one emergency operations agency and are now known as California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA).

 

DISCUSSION:

A grant application is required each year to receive state and federal funds through the state agency designated to administer these grants. The daily program functions are achieved with the assistance of volunteers and student interns. The Victim/Witness Assistance Program received over 3,000 victim referrals from the law enforcement agencies in the county in 2008, and provided services to over 2,450 new victims. Examples of the types of services provided to victims include crisis intervention, emergency assistance, resource and referral assistance, claims assistance and court escort/support. We assisted over 575 victims of Domestic Violence, over 425 victims of assault & Battery, and over 350 victims of Sexual Assault (adults & children). Program staff collaborate with the Keller Center, Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA), Rape Trauma Services, Child protective Services, and various other agencies that provide services to crime victims. Victim Center staff also participate on the Child Sexual Abuse Multi-Disciplinary Team, the Sexual Assault MDIT Advisory Committee and the Domestic Violence Death Review Team.

County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution and Memo as to form.

Approval of this resolution contributes to the Shared Vision of 2025 of a Healthy Community by providing comprehensive assistance to victims of violent crimes.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The state and federal grant funding awarded for FY 2009-10 is $380,081. The total expected cost of the program is $674,376, resulting in a projected net county cost of $294,295. The Victim/Witness Grant does not require a match. Funds have been included in the FY 2009-10 Recommended Budget to cover these additional costs.