ALBANY – The State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence has announced a $200,000 grant to Safe Homes of Orange County so that it can partner with law enforcement in an effort to reduce intimate partner homicides.
“Orange County knows all too well the devastating impact domestic violence homicides have on a community, and know they are preventable,” said Safe Homes Executive Director Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier. “Collectively, we will work on implementing a program that identifies high-risk cases, and ensures immediate connection to services, and accountability within the criminal justice system.”
The investment, over a two-year period, will fund the Risk Reduction Enhanced Response pilot program. The grant requires a 20 percent match from Safe Homes.
Under the program, Safe Homes and law enforcement will use an evidence-based
assessment tool to identify intimate partner abuse cases deemed to be
at high risk for lethal violence at the earlier point possible.
Service providers and law enforcement will work together to improve the community’s response to those high-risk cases with the goal of increasing victim safety, ensuring services for victims are comprehensive and accessible, and enhancing monitoring and enforcement to better hold offenders accountable for their behavior.
Safe Homes, based in Newburgh, will work with city officials and Newburgh Police, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Orange County Probation, and other community-based organizations to create the Risk Reduction Response Program.
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