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Meeting Date:	09/26/2016
FY 2017 VAWA Grant Award
Submitted for:	Martin Cuellar	Submitted By:	Anita Guerra
Department:	Sheriff

Subject:

Discussion and possible action to accept a grant award in the amount of $7,309 (CJD Grant No. 3010401) for the Violent Crimes Against Women (VAWA) grant from the Office of the Governor Criminal Justice Division (CJD) for needed supplies, equipment, and training to provide enhanced law enforcement strategies and investigative services to the victims of violent crime in the Laredo/Webb County area and authorizing the Webb County Judge to execute all relevant documents; and any other matters incident thereto. [Grant Fund Source 333] This grant requires a 35% cash match, or a $3,936 cash match, which will be met through the utilization of forfeiture funds. [Account #168-9501-9301 (Transfer out from Forfeiture Funds)]

Issue: Violence against women is among the most intractable and deadliest criminal justice problems in the United States, especially domestic violence and in the South Texas area. According to published statistics, the number of American women between 2001-2012 who were murdered by current or ex male partners in the United States was 11,766. That's almost double the amount of casualties lost during wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Women who will be victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes number 1 in 4. (“30 Shocking Domestic Violence Statistics That Remind Us It’s An Epidemic” Vagianos 10/23/2014).

Solution: Grant award to enhance the tools, techniques, and training to those investigators who follow-up to calls for assistance, conduct interviews with these victims, file incident reports, provide these victims information/referrals to service providers, initiate arrests of perpetrators, refer cases for prosecution, and prepare testimony/evidence for trial in cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

Result: Enhanced law enforcement services, including investigative techniques, to deal with emergent criminal trends, such as cyber stalking, and improved efficacy of the law enforcement response to the needs of victims of violent crime.

Background:

The purpose of this grant is to assist in developing and strengthening the Webb County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement strategies to combat family violence, sexual assault, sexual human trafficking, dating violence, and stalking crimes against women and to develop and strengthen the Webb County Sheriff’s Office victim services in such cases.

Previous Court Action:

This grant application was authorized for submission by the Webb County Commissioners' Court on February 22, 2016.

Fiscal Impact

Budget Account Number:	333
Funding Source:	Grant
Balance:	$7,309
Financial Impact:
$7,309 grant [Fund 333]

Budget Account Number:	168
Funding Source:	Forfeiture funds
Balance:	$10,000
Financial Impact:
$3,936 cash match [Account #168-9501-9301 (Transfer out from Forfeiture Funds)]

Attachments
Award Notice
Resolution
Transmittal Documentation