Dear Colleagues,
It is my honor to officially kick off this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). This year’s theme—How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.—focuses on the moral responsibility we all have as human beings to actively participate in the healing of others. It is a call-to-action for us all to create safe environments for crime victims to share what happened to them. By doing so, we’re able to offer support, options for life-saving services, and, most importantly, a pathway to hope. And lest you think I’m referring to wishful thinking, let me be clear. Hope—the belief that the future will be better—is a tangible entity that is a driver of wellness, optimism, and healing and has the potential to change the trajectory of someone’s life. We can all offer that hope.
Throughout the week, I’ll be joining other U.S. Department of Justice components for their NCVRW 2024 events, like the Federal Bureau of Investigation who is launching their Trauma Notification Training and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who is hosting an Inaugural Gun Violence Survivors’ Summit to hear from survivors of gun violence. These stunning displays of support for crime survivors from my law enforcement colleagues are inspiring and I’m honored to be a part of them.
OVC will also host two events on the National Mall—the NCVRW Candlelight Vigil on Wednesday, April 24 and the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 25. There is still time to register for both events, so, if you live in the DC metro area or will be visiting, I hope you will join us for these moving events. At the vigil, you’ll hear from two inspiring individuals—Anthony Edwards and Brenda Glass—and the American Pops Orchestra. Then, the following day, I hope you’ll join us to honor and recognize this year’s National Crime Victims’ Service Awards recipients. The individuals and teams that we’re honoring have worked tirelessly to support crime survivors through the services, advocacy, research, and hope they offer.
There are many other NCVRW activities being held around the Nation, too. You’ll find me closing out the week in Selma, Alabama, at one of those events. I have the pleasure of speaking at an event hosted by the District Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit, in partnership with the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, Selma Police Department, and Selma Fire & Rescue Department. To find an event near you, I encourage you to visit our Events page. You’ll find over 100!
Finally, I hope you’ll use our Resource Guide this week to spread the message that everyone plays a role in supporting crime victims and survivors. This year’s Resource Guide was designed with that in mind. And it offers many ideas to develop awareness campaigns, regardless of your role as a victim services professional, allied professional, business, or a community member. You might notice, too, that the theme videos highlight the impact helpers from different vocations can have in the lives of crime victims. How ever you choose to commemorate NCVRW, be sure to use #NCVRW2024 in your social media content, so we can watch, too! Each year, we share content from around the Nation every day of NCVRW and we love to see the innovative ways you’re commemorating the week and raising awareness for victims’ rights and services. It feels incredibly unifying to share in your events, even from a distance.
On behalf of the Office for Victims of Crime, thank you for everything you do day in and day out to ensure that all victims and survivors know where and how to find help. It takes all of us – and we are proud to be in this work with you.
Sincerely,
Kristina Rose
Director