| 2015 Staffing | |
|---|---|
| Division Chief | 1 |
| Legal Support Manager | 1 |
| Sr. Probation Officer Liaison | 1 |
| Paralegal Supervisor | 1 |
| Paralegals | 7 |
| Victim Assistance Program Manager | 1 |
| Victim Advocate Supervisors | 3 |
| Victim Advocates | 11 |
| Clerical Support | 3 |
| Student Workers | 6 |
| Volunteers | 4 |
| Total | 39 |
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Victim Services Division works diligently to reduce the trauma, frustration, and the inconvenience experienced by victims, witnesses, and family members affected by crime. We do this by providing a variety of services to victims of crime and their families. In addition, we express our full support to victims and witnesses through the criminal justice process.
The work done by staff in this division allows for faster and more complete recovery from the effects of crime. Some of the services provided by the division include:
- Crisis Intervention
- Resource and Referrals
- Victims of Crime Claim Submission
- Court Support
- Restitution Assistance
The Victim Assistance Program provides comprehensive services to all crime victims, as mandated by state and federal law. Mandatory and optional services are provided to crime victims even when a suspect has not been apprehended or prosecuted. This program is meant to reduce the trauma that victims experience in the aftermath of a crime.
Victim advocates work tirelessly to assist victims of violent crimes. In 2015, they assisted 12,826 new crime victims. This assistance included 716 crisis interventions and 12,700 resource and referral information for crime victims. In addition, they provided case status to 6,254 victims and court accompaniment to 853 victims. Victim advocates also assisted with filing 2,543 applications with the Victim Compensation Program.
The Joint Powers Claims Unit processed 1,067 claims from victims of violent crimes and 2,640 bills from service providers. The unit also facilitated payment of nearly $1.2 million to victims from the California Victim Compensation Program Fund.
The Criminal Restitution Recovery Unit helped to obtain and complete 1,697 orders, assisted 5,497 victims, and obtained restitution fines of over $1.6 million. The unit also helped to secure restitution amounts totaling $7.4 million.
Our Senior Probation Officer Liaison provided assistance to 2,072 victims in 1,950 cases. As a result, over $10.5 million in restitution was ordered paid to victims and approximately $481,000 in restitution was distributed directly to victims in 2015.
