The enhancing investigations and prosecution of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (EIP) encourages law enforcement agencies and/or prosecutors offices to expand and…

This $500,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (CFDA 16.590 - Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program) supports the Monroe County District Attorney's Office and Willow Domestic Violence Center in New York. The funding will be used to: 1) Implement a Domestic Violence Response Team, 2) Hire a prosecution-based investigator to enhance the prosecution of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking cases, and 3) Hire an attorney to prosecute these types of cases and serve on the Domestic Violence Response Team. This three-year project aims to improve the criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by strengthening investigation and prosecution capabilities, while prioritizing victim safety and offender accountability. The award period is from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027.

The enhancing investigations and prosecution of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (EIP) encourages law enforcement agencies and/or prosecutors offices to expand and improve their capacity to effectively investigate and/or prosecute domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and in so doing, support victim safety and autonomy, hold offenders accountable, and promote agency trust within the surrounding community. The EIP project by the monroe county district attorneys office in partnership with the willow domestic violence center to implement in monroe county, NY addresses EIP purpose area): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Additionally, this project addresses OVW priority area 1: access to justice. Specific activities include: 1) implement a domestic violence response team; 2) hire a prosecution-based investigator to enhance the prosecution of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking cases; and 3) hire an attorney to prosecute domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking cases and serve on the domestic violence response team.