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Victim Advocacy Unit: On April 15, 2002 the Victim Advocacy Program (VAP) was launched in the Major Crimes Unit of the Colorado Springs Police Department. VAP is a valuable component of the Investigations Division of the Department. In the fall of 2007, the Victim Advocacy Program became the Victim Advocacy Unit (VAU). The Unit now includes three full-time victim advocates and a cadre of volunteers. The Victim Advocacy Unit reaches out to all victims of reported Victim Rights Act (VRA) crimes within the city's jurisdiction. Telephone calls, correspondence, and personal contacts by our Victim Advocates ensure that crime victims understand their rights and have their needs met throughout the criminal justice process. We assist victims of eligible crimes to apply for Crime Victim Compensation . VAU also provides education, information, and outreach to citizens about our program.
The Mission of the Victim Advocacy Unit is to minimize the impact of violent crimes to victims and to assist in restoring their quality of life.
The VAU has a bilingual Victim Advocate who can provide services to Spanish speaking victims. We also work in collaboration with the Asian Pacific Development Center to provide advocacy to victims of Asian American and Pacific Islander Descent.
If you have any questions about the Victim Advocacy Unit, please contact the VAU at (719)444-7777.
Who Have We Served? As of December 2011, our unit has provided advocacy services to approximately 2,713 crime victims. Approximately 874 of those crime victms were offered immediate assistance on-scene, in-person, and/or by telephone.
The Victim Advocacy Unit provides:
*Court support must be requested by the victim.
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Links to Other Sites Asian Pacific Development Center Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance The National Center for Victims of Crime National Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment Network
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