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PRESS
RELEASE
August 6, 2004
The Poweshiek County
Domestic/Sexual Abuse Response Team (
DSART
) recently received grant funds from the United States Department of
Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. The
$185,304 award under the Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization
Enforcement Grant Program is intended to address the unique problems faced by
rural victims of domestic violence. Geographic
isolation and a lack of available services in rural communities often not only
prevent those who seek to end the violence in their lives from doing so,
but also complicates
the ability of the criminal justice system to effectively investigate and
prosecute instances of domestic violence, dating violence, and child
victimization.
Poweshiek County
DSART
,
was formed in 2003 to address these problems.
DSART
is comprised of representatives from the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s
Office, the Poweshiek County Attorney’s Office, the Grinnell Police
Department, and the Brooklyn Police Department.
DSART
works in cooperation with the Poweshiek County Domestic Violence
Alternatives/Sexual Assault Center and the Iowa Department of Corrections to
strengthen the network of agencies and disciplines within
Poweshiek
County
that responds
to domestic abuse and sexual assault crimes and the victims of those crimes.
Through this network,
DSART
will work cooperatively to hold perpetrators of domestic violence and
sexual assault crimes accountable for their actions, inform victims of their
rights within the legal system, and inform and educate the community of the
seriousness of domestic and sexual violence.
The funds from the grant will be
dedicated to a rural domestic violence outreach program, which will educate
community members and students on domestic abuse,
and provide information about the services available to victims.
Funding will also go toward hiring a Victim/Witness Coordinator,
increasing advocacy capacity, and toward equipment and training for first
responders dealing with victims of domestic violence.
This will enable a more proactive approach and a more skilled response to
domestic abuse by law enforcement and medical personnel, prosecutors, and
advocates in
Poweshiek
County
.
For additional information, contact:
Rebecca Petig
Assistant
Poweshiek
County
Attorney
641.623.5135
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