MONTGOMERY— Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded an $80,000 grant to provide enhanced services to victims of domestic violence around the state.
The grant to the state Office of Prosecution Services will provide training programs for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, domestic violence shelter staff and other criminal justice personnel involved with domestic violence cases. A domestic violence resource prosecutor will also be made available to provide technical assistance to those groups.
“For victims of domestic violence, there is caring, professional help available 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Gov. Ivey said. “I am pleased to award this grant to the Office of Prosecution Services as they continue to ensure that the people and agencies serving these victims are well-trained to provide the best assistance possible in a caring manner.”
OPS officials said that domestic violence was indicated in 30 homicides, 283 rapes, 111 robberies and 3,867 aggravated assaults in 2017.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from the state’s Domestic Violence Trust Fund. The fund, created by the legislature in 2015, collects marriage recording fees to provide supplemental revenue for assisting the needs of domestic violence victims.
“Gov. Ivey is a strong advocate for domestic violence victims, and ADECA is pleased to support these training programs to support those on the front lines who are serving and assisting victims,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.
ADECA manages a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victims services, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation development.
Gov. Ivey notified Barry Matson, executive director of OPS, that the grant had been approved.
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Contact: Josh Carples; Mike Presley