LANSING, MI – The New Citizens Press Community Action Network (TNCPCAN) in commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), April 8-14, 2018, will be hosting the sixth annual dinner and ceremony at Lansing City Hall to raise awareness about crime victims’ issues and rights and introduce the community to the important resources and services available.
The dinner and ceremony will be on Monday, April 9, 2018 and begins promptly at 6:00 pm at Lansing City Hall, 124 W. Michigan Ave, on the ground level in the lobby. This dinner is free and all members of the community are welcome. After the dinner, community members are welcome to attend the ceremony during the regular City Council meeting at 7:00 pm.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week honors and celebrates the achievements of the past thirty years in securing rights, protections, and services for victims. The bipartisan Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), passed by Congress in 1984, created a national fund to ease victims’ suffering. Financed by fines and penalties paid by offenders, the Crime Victims Fund supports services for victims of all types of crime, including assistance for homicide survivors, survivors of child sexual abuse and victims of human trafficking as well as rape crisis centers and domestic violence programs among others. VOCA also funds victim compensation programs that pay victims’ out-of-pocket expenses such as counseling, funeral expenses, and lost wages.
This event is sponsored by the Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and community activists who are interested in seeing cold cases in Ingham County and the surrounding areas solved.
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) of the U.S. Department of Justice leads communities throughout the country by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme – This year’s theme—Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims—emphasizes the importance of inclusion in victim services. This year’s theme addresses–
• how those in crime victims fields can better ensure that every crime victim has access to services and support; and
• how professionals, organizations, and communities can work in tandem to reach all victims.
Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney Carol Siemon said, “In the past year, our community has focused on survivors and victims of crime more than ever before – due to the experiences of those who have come forward and shared their stories with police, courts, and the public. During this year’s Crime Victims Week, we are working to expand the circle and include every victim – so that all are supported, and none are left in the darkness.”
For additional information about this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and how to assist victims in your community, please visit TNCPCAN’s Facebook page at http://bit.ly/2HSkXIx
March 1 – March 14, 2018
