Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded an $80,000 grant to provide increased services to domestic violence victims across Alabama.
The grant, provided to the Alabama Office of Prosecution Services, will make training programs available to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, staff at domestic violence shelters and other criminal justice personnel who work 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,” Ivey said in a statement. “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.”
A report from the Criminal Justice Services Division of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency shows there were 4,291 domestic violence cases reported in 2017. Of those cases, there were 30 homicides, 283 rapes, 111 robberies and 3,867 aggravated assaults.
The grant is being administered to the state Domestic Violence Trust Fund by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). 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 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.
The fund, created by the legislature in 2015, collects marriage recording fees to provide supplemental revenue for assisting the needs of victims of domestic violence.
