The improving criminal justice responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking grant program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 10461-10465 and implemented through regulations at…

The improving criminal justice responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking grant program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 10461-10465 and implemented through regulations at 28 C.F.R. Part 90, subpart d. The program fosters victim safety and offender accountability in cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by encouraging state, local, and tribal governments and courts to work collaboratively with community partners to identify problems and share ideas that will result in effectively responding to these crimes. An integral component of this program is the development, revitalization, or enhancement of a coordinated community response that brings together criminal justice agencies, victim services providers, and community-based organizations that respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The grantee, in collaboration with its project partners, will use this continuation award to continue improving the jurisdictions criminal justice system response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Specifically, the project will: 1) implement activities focused on victim safety and offender accountability; 2) participate in mandated OVW training and technical assistance; and 3) work toward sustainability of project activities. Through this continuation grants to improve the criminal justice response project, the town of amherst, in partnership with the center for women and community, amherst police department, the hadley police department, and the university of massachusetts amherst police department, will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: 5, 9, 15, and 19. This project will be enacted throughout the towns of amherst and hadley, which combine to include the university of massachusetts-amherst campus. Specific activities will include: 1) training for law enforcement partners to increase their investigative capacity to identify and investigate instances of intimate partner violence against immigrant victims, and to increase understanding of safety and privacy concerns for those victims; 2) training for law enforcement partners to identify high-risk offenders in domestic violence cases through a danger assessment, and to make appropriate referrals to the jurisdiction's high risk team; 3) training for law enforcement partners on the different types of, and application process for, civil protection orders as well as the investigation of, and charging for, violations of protection orders; 4) training for law enforcement partners on the investigation of non-intimate partner sexual assault and stalking cases, including those involving online abuse, harassment, and/or exploitation; 5) the development of curriculum, and subsequent training, on a) basic forensic response for patrol officers at sexual assault crime scenes, b) trauma informed interviewing of sexual assault victims, and c) developing a strong initial report to ensure trauma-informed interviewing and response to sexual assault; 6) training for partners on the intersections of mental health diagnoses and the increased likelihood of victimization in an intimate partner violence crime; 7) victim advocacy services through staffing a law enforcement based civilian advocate position; and 8) training for law enforcement partners on interpreting for victims for whom english is not their first language.