tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42913083617701681732024-02-07T00:34:56.364-08:00Crime Victim Advocacy CenterThe blog of the Crime Victim Advocacy Center, dedicated to reducing the negative impact of crime and violence on victims. Discover more at www.supportvictims.org. Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-44195794568659182572017-11-08T11:05:00.001-08:002017-11-08T11:05:13.057-08:00Guns and Domestic Violence: A Case from CVAC's Files<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">In June, following the shooting of Rep. Scalise and several others, we posted <a href="http://supportvictims.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-real-story-of-mass-violence.html" target="_blank">here</a> about the connection between mass shootings and domestic violence. In the wake of another mass shooting by a perpetrator with a history of domestic violence, we felt it was important to share a case from our files to illustrate how our advocates can intervene when an domestic abuser is known to have guns. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Victoria*
filed for an order of protection against her abuser alleging both physical and
emotional abuse. She shared with her Court Order of Protection Assistance
(COPA) advocate that her abuser had threatened to shoot her. Victoria was granted
an ex parte and the abuser was served with the temporary order. The next day Victoria’s advocate
was notified by a gun shop that Victoria’s abuser had purchased a hand gun. This was made possible </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">through a partnership with the St. Louis City
Sheriff’s Office. </span>In Missouri,
such a purchase while the Order of Protection is pending is still legal. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Once
notified, Victoria's advocate contacted the victim to warn her of the purchase and to
safety plan with her. She communicated that she no longer felt safe residing in
the city and would be going to stay with relatives in the county. Victoria’s
advocate was able to communicate her concerns to one of the St. Louis City
Police detectives. The Domestic Violence Intervention Partnership (DVIP)
advocate in the police department got involved in Victoria's case, as well. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Upon losing
communication with the victim, her advocates became very concerned for her
safety. The DVIP advocate sent a police officer to the victim’s
relatives’ home to check on her safety. Victoria was ultimately granted a full
order of protection and the abuser was ordered to surrender his firearm to the
local police department. She also began seeing a counselor at CVAC.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence, CVAC's hotline is 314-652-3623. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">*name and some details have been changed to protect the victim's privacy</span></span></span>Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-89016784302804399762017-06-22T09:33:00.001-07:002017-06-22T09:34:22.755-07:00The Real Story of Mass Violence- Domestic ViolenceLast week, the United States suffered two more highly
publicized shootings in which multiple people were injured or killed. At a UPS
facility in San Francisco, three employees were killed and at least two more
were injured. On a ballfield in Washington D.C., Rep. Steve Scalise and three
others were shot, but all are expected to survive. The alleged shooters from
both cases are deceased. These follow cases like the shooting at the Pulse
Nightclub, Emanuel AME Church, and in San Bernadino. After any mass casualty
event, law enforcement and the media will dissect the life and possible motives
of the shooters. What led up to this shooting? Were there warning signs? How
can we prevent another one from happening?
<br />
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<br /></div>
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One important thing to note, however, is that not all mass
shootings makes the news like the two did last week. These types of shootings,
carried out in public, are not the rule for mass shootings. They are the
exception. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The majority of <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/reports/mass-shootings-analysis/" target="_blank">mass shootings</a> where 4 or more victims are
killed (54%) include the murder of an intimate partner or a family member. The
majority of these cases (70%) also occur in the home, not in public. The story
of mass violence in American is not one of religion or race or politics; the
story of mass violence in America is a story of domestic violence. </div>
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<br /></div>
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To have a meaningful discussion of violence in America,
especially of mass fatal violence, we need to have a meaningful discussion
about <a href="https://www.mocadsv.org/FileStream.aspx?FileID=495" target="_blank">domestic violence</a>. We need to talk about why more than 11,000 of our St.
Louis area neighbors had to seek services after being victims of domestic
violence and why more than 500 sought services but were unable to receive them due
to program capacity. We need to talk about why there are only 130 domestic
violence shelter beds in St. Louis and why, even with 40,000 bed nights used in
those shelter beds in 2015, over 5,000 people were turned away because the shelters
were full. We need to talk about why agencies have to do so much with so
little. We need to talk about why there are thousands of our neighbors
suffering in silence. <i>We need to talk about why domestic violence is not just a
private issue. It is a public crisis. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Crime Victim Advocacy Center serves victims of domestic
violence regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. If you have been
a victim of domestic violence and would like to speak to an advocate,
counselor, or lawyer, please call CVAC’s hotline at 314-652-3623. </div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-25605311247295488112017-04-20T10:44:00.002-07:002017-04-20T10:44:36.392-07:00Because They Lived<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This Saturday, Crime Victim Advocacy Center and the Homicide, Ministers & Community Alliance will host their 7th Annual Vigil of Remembrance for Homicide Victims. As the partnership between CVAC and HMCA has grown, so has the relationship with the police and with the number of referrals. At the first vigil in 2010, we honored 149 victims of homicide at a vigil attended by less than 40 family members. This year, the solemn list includes 270 victims. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We gather together not because these individuals died, but because they lived. Their life, their laughter and love, their sorrow and joy were shared with family and friends who are left to grieve their loss. Grief is the price that we pay for loving someone. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This year, we honor the lives of:</span><style><!--
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Markel Simms</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Henry Williams</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tylan Bogan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">John Kimble</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Patrick Jr Hunter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jamayha Luss</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lenny Hogan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Antoine Bland</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">D'andre Robinson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nathaniel Stansberry</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dominick Chambly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Trevon Chapple</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keith Wingo</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lakeesha Morris</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Latrielle Dunn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Danesha Barnes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ricardo Comparini</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ryan McDermott</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jarrett Greene</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lamont Robinson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jeffrey Williams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jose Garcia</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Andre Montgomery</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brandon Ellington</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mark Scott</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mark Carrol</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Charles Newsome</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Andre Walker</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jocelyn Peters</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tyrin Williams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Andre Henderson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kevin McAfee</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Steven Sunkel</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Isaiah Harris</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kawynn Humphries</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jordon Taynor</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jose Orona</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Otis Brown</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clyde Lockett</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Karon Little</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marcus Jackson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gina Smith</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shawn Quinn</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chelvon Thomas</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">James Pierce</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reginald Johnson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Howard Cooper</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lee Eason</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Williams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dominick Miller</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Frankie Phillips</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Terry Evans</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Courtney Ward</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Joseph Recker</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Devin Bess</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Arlandus Mayo</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Richard Graham</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kendall White</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Darrell McCoy</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sandra Meraz-Anaya</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Janay Noldon</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Robert Piffins</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brandi Hill</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Melvin Thomas</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marquita Jones-Smith</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Madison Thomas</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reign Crockett</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keyla Eberhart</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cherronda Jones</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chavez Mopkins</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Londen Brown</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anthony Miller</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Omar Villasenor</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Willie Williams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tyrell Thompson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tyrell Patrick</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kenneth Reed</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Damion Alton</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">John Moore</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jessica Paxton</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shawn Clark</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jarod Rucker</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Leon Wilkes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Raymond Casseus</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">David Times</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ricky Gillespie</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eric Jones</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Demon Williams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Edward Tammons</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Quintin Lawrence</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Verse Johnson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Samuel Jackson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jamie Connor</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Terrenzalo Walker</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reginald Wilkes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eunice Cain</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reba Battles</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Emmitt Dawson Jr</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tywan Smith</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jacara Sproaps</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maurice Partlow</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Travis Jones</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Justin Hubbard</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Latroyn Swopes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Robert Paden</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Isadore Jr<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Spruell</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Christopher Dutton</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Patrick<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wilhite</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marquetta Toran</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cerone Baker</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tyra Shannon</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lawrence Strawbridge</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shannon Orr</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dominick Reece</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Huston Jr Martin</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cory Goodwin</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">George Calmese Jr</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gary Peters</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sigaria Shanklin</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Caylin Hudson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Romaine Rodgers</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Mason</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dexter Pitts</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Christopher Catanzaro</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alexander Thomas</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Christopher Cooper</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Erol Cizmo</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Darian Knox</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">David Baker</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Johnson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Devontay Bell</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stacey Griffin</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jean Gibson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Deanthony Curry</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Daimond White</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rapheal Peal</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Christopher Crawford</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Malita Wings</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shawndreaka Lakes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Antoine Bronner</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shaun Hawkins </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lewis Grant</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ronsonie Scott</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Joseph Bantle</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Monica Shaw</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Timothy Grice</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Edward Jones</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jerome Courtney</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Joe Martin</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Antonio Perkins</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Christopher Nelson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Erica Young</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Aaron Woodson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shawn Fields</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dwayne Jackson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nathaniel Dieckmann</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Taylor Lane</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lemmuel Williams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dontay Jordan</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Terry Lowe</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lindell Browden</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jamarr Mack Jr</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alexis Conley</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Paul Schneider</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sylvester Kendrick</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Geremy Brooks</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jonathan Warren</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lonnie Middlebrook</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stacy Isreal</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Douglas Coats</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kenneth Jacobs</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Patrick McVey</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Andrew Wesley</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Murphey</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Charles Gray</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Joseph Hults</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don Clark</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nathaniel Dawson </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Joe Mottley</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Robert Collins</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rolando Bolden Jr</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">David Bryant</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jarrell Foster</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Damani Aitch</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Janae Johnson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">David Bewig Jr.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Griffin</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Martez Ceasar</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kevin Brown</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keith Armstrong</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Arnold Adams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dwayne Clanton</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sammie<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tabor </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Milloria Washington</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jonathan Deturk</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stacey Aubuchon</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maleah Talton</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kiron Carter</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Travis Jones</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ronnie Johnson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Albert Stewart III</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Gerry Smith</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kevin Moore</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Erako Burnett</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dorwin Overall</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Hawkins</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keith Harris</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">James Martin-VonKast</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Joseph Reise</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kenneth Allen</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Crystal Chapman</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alex Winston</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Erick Daugherty</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dannon Smith</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Darrion Nelson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Roderick Williams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dkori Haron</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jirah Campbell</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Carole Comer</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">John Comer</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rebecca Comer</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mussie Gebregziabher</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keith Freeman</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keith Winston </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Robert Nelson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lorenzo Fowler</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Linda McLaughlin</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Deon Smith, Jr.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tommie McDowell</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wesley Hughes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Deyon Smith </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Samuel Lee</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shannon Larock</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Robert Hall</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dana Robinson </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tracy Nailor</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tonya Friziellie</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Antoine Quinn</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">John Wilbourn</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Patrick Kinnard</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maurice Parker, Jr.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jorell Cleveland</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Daren Seals</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marvell Kindle</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Steven White</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alphonse Williams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anthony Randle</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Darrion Simms</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">John Trevillion</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jerel Minor</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Gales</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Owen Cadenbach</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ethan Cadenbach</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Faith McCoy</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Patricia Pendleton</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Denise Opperman</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">German Sanders</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Korrey Miller</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jacobi Boldon</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kenna Daly</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Howard Griffin, Jr. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tommie Tyler</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry Woods</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sheena Engstrom</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Darrikus Tipler</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Daikel Fletcher</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dorian Whitlock</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maulik Patel</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Phabion Harshaw</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Toni Stevenson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ricky Shields</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Townes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tiandra Johnson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lawrence Wheeler</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry Jones</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shabazz Thompson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kieloah Phoenix</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lamarcus Turner</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jarel Mays</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brandy Morrison</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Donald Marks</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Carolyn Garvin</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kenisha Davis</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jarrett Richardson</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Travis Scales</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cheryl Williams</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dwight Gray</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Albert Bass</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kenneth Spalter</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dwayne Gibbs</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mi’Kenzie Bostic</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Zeke Clark</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lendell Palmer</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">John Frost</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Larry Barnes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shun Berry</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jimmie Jones</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tony Portis</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jerome Fleweller</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shooting Justified</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shooting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Justified</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mac Sr Payne</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Antonio Womack</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And Officer Blake Snyder, St. Louis County Police Department</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For more information on the vigil, visit supportvictims.org. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
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Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-40310095335599896672017-03-17T13:51:00.001-07:002017-03-17T14:03:02.357-07:00Training Law Enforcement on Working with LGBTQIA+ Victims<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">The <a href="http://www.stlavp.org/" target="_blank">St. Louis Anti-Violence Project</a> (AVP) and CVAC are in the process of training every officer in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department on working with victims who identify as LGBTQIA+. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">The
LGBTQIA+ acronym covers individuals who identify as lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and the "+"
denotes other sexual orientations and gender identities other than
cisgender and straight.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">Board members of AVP, two of whom are also CVAC employees, have been developing this training for two years with input from law enforcement and the LGBTQIA+ community. The impetus for this training came from observations of AVP and CVAC and statistics that show LGBTQIA+ victims were not reporting their victimizations to law enforcement and not seeking out social service assistance despite their higher likelihood of being victims of crime. With CVAC staff's experience in developing and administering curricula for law enforcement and AVP's expertise in the impact of victimization on and barriers to services in the LGBTQIA+ community, it is an ideal partnership.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">According to SLMPD, there has not been training on this topic
in recent memory. AVP and CVAC train officers to improve the way they
treat LGBTQIA+ victims, while also giving a baseline of knowledge that
all officers should acquire. Therefore, if there
is a problem with the way an LGBTQIA+ victim is treated in the future,
this training acts as an accountability measure and their CVAC advocate
can intervene on behalf of that victim.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">The topics in
this training are the basics that any officer needs to know in order to
respectfully address and individual who identifies as LGBTQIA+, to
render services considerately, and to understand
the unique concerns of LGBTQIA+ victims. Topics include:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">Basic
Terminology for LGBTQ identity: It’s best when presenting to a large
group to not assume that everyone starts with the same knowledge base.
Therefore, this training and all others that CVAC offers
start with a review of basic language. While gay, straight, bisexual
might not be new, some individuals have never heard the word cisgender.
For those who haven’t seen it before I used it in the introduction or
who have but never learned its meaning, this
means that one’s biological sex assigned at birth matches the
individual’s gender identity. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">Privilege,
Oppression, & Intersectionality: It is one thing to look at another
person and realize their life is more difficult because of their sexual
orientation or gender identity. It is another to
then realize that those who do not identify as LGBTQIA+ are privileged. For example, straight people do not have to worry about being asked how old they were when they "decided they were straight." Cisgender individuals can use the restroom of their gender identity without worry about being victimized. Furthermore, multiple aspects of a person’s identity (e.g. race, sexual
orientation, gender identity, disability) are interconnected and
influence their life experiences. For example,
a white gay man’s experience is different from a white lesbian’s
experience and those are different from a lesbian woman of color.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">Barriers to
Service Provision: History of difficulties between the LGBTQIA+
community and law enforcement are highlighted. This includes a
discussion of a study by Wolf Smith, AVP Board Chair, in which
ze found that only a small percentage of LGBTQIA+ victims of domestic
violence sought assistance from police or social services.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">Victimization
of LGBTQIA+ Individuals: Statistics show that LGBTQIA+ individuals are
more at risk for many victimizations including sexual assault and
domestic violence. Two thirds of trans women report experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. Gay men are twice as likely as straight men to experience sexual assault. LGBTQIA+ individuals are more likely to be victimized, but less likely to reach out to law enforcement and social services. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">Helpful Tips
& Inclusive Resources: This section shows officers how they can
support their fellow law enforcement officers who identify as LGBTQIA+,
how they can more positively interact with the LGBTQIA+
community, as well as respectfully addressing individual members.
Inclusive resources including CVAC, <a href="https://safeconnections.org/" target="_blank">Safe Connections</a>, <a href="https://alivestl.org/" target="_blank">ALIVE</a>, and the <a href="http://www.circuitattorney.org/victimservicesunit.aspx" target="_blank">St. Louis City Circuit Attorney’s Office Victim Service Unit</a> are presented.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">While AVP and CVAC are starting with training the SLMPD officers, this training is available to any other law enforcement departments, social service providers, LGBTQIA+ community groups, and any other groups who want to learn more about the needs of LGBTQIA+ victims of violence. The training is constantly being updated with feedback from participants and the community and this process will continue with each iteration of the presentation.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">For more information on this training, check out the Pulse of St. Louis this Saturday, March 18 at 7pm on Channel 11.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;">Comments by Jessica M., Director of Community Engagement </span></span></div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-61917518947381591392017-02-24T09:34:00.001-08:002017-02-24T09:34:14.376-08:00Why I like working for CVAC and you can, too.<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week, CVAC posted two new positions for which we are accepting applications. These positions will allow us to expand our staff and services to better meet the needs of victims in the St. Louis area. Before you check out the job descriptions and requirements <a href="http://www.supportvictims.org/job-opportunities">here</a>, it might be helpful to learn why CVAC is such a great place to work. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dannielle (2 years at CVAC): The people are absolutely amazing. Working within the criminal justice system allows us to do outreach to fill gaps in services where victims often fall through the cracks. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Peggy (16 years at CVAC): I love working at CVAC because the office culture really values self care. The work is hard, even if you feel you are meant to do it, but the staff is very supportive of each other. Working here is like being part of a family.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Katie (4 years at CVAC): I like working at CVAC because we have very few stipulations on who we can serve. If you feel you have been victimized, you can come to us for help. Because of this, we have a very diverse client population with diverse needs. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Megan (2 years at CVAC): I enjoy working for CVAC because of my unique setting in the courts and the opportunities available to me within that setting. As a full time student pursuing my masters, I also enjoy the ability, support, and encouragement to pursue higher education.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jessica (13 years at CVAC): I like working at CVAC because we are encouraged to form meaningful partnerships with other agencies. This allows us to constantly update our services and increase the quality of those services. We also can have a meaningful impact through public advocacy and training that affect victims who never directly receive our services.</span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">CVAC is an equal opprtunity employer and diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. </span></i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></i></span></span>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-66873006169622902222017-02-21T12:24:00.002-08:002017-02-21T12:24:55.400-08:00Taking One More Tool Away from AbusersIn an El Paso court on February 9, federal immigration agents detained an undocumented woman after a court hearing (<a href="http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2017/02/15/ice-detains-domestic-violence-victim-court/97965624/" target="_blank">link</a>). While these types of detentions happen on a regular basis, this one caused particular concern in the victim service community. This woman was in court that day to get an Order of Protection. The tip that led to her detention is speculated to have come from the person against whom she was filing the Order of Protection, her alleged abuser.<br />
<br />
It is no great revelation to say that abusers will use any and all methods available to them to maintain power and control over their victims. While most people think of emotional and physical abuse, advocates often see sexual abuse and financial abuse in their clients as well. Withholding immigration documents or threatening to report an undocumented individual to authorities is a further extension of this abuse- one more tool that abusers use to maintain their control. This is true for both victims of domestic violence as well as human trafficking.<br />
<br />
It is important for advocates, victims, friends, family, law enforcement, and courts to know, however, that there are <a href="https://www.ilrc.org/u-visa-t-visa-vawa" target="_blank">legal remedies</a> to prevent a situation like the one in El Paso. Victims of domestic violence may be able to apply for a U Visa which allows victims who cooperate with a criminal investigations to obtain a visa to stay in the United States and to potentially earn a green card. Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), an individual who has been abused by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident may self-petition to stay in the U.S. lawfully, to work, and to receive public benefits. Victims of sex or labor trafficking may apply for a T Visa which could grant them lawful residence, the ability to work, and a potential path to stay permanently. <br />
<br />
No immigration process is quick or simple. While these are drawn out processes with no guarantee of success, simply spreading the word of their existence may help someone. Sharing this information could save a victim whose abuser is threatening to have them deported or who is hesitant to involve the police for fear of deportation. This can allow us as advocates and as a society to take one more tool away from abusers and to give that little bit of power back to the victim.<br />
<br />
If you or someone you know is concerned about their legal status and they are a victim of domestic violence or sex trafficking, St. Louis has several resources available including:<br />
<a href="http://www.lsem.org/lsem-services/immigration-law-program/" target="_blank">Legal Services of Eastern Missouri</a><br />
<a href="https://www.ccstl.org/organizations/st-francis-community-services/" target="_blank">Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry</a><br />
If both of these state they are unable to help a victim, they can call Crime Victim Advocacy Center at 314-652-3623 for intake and additional referrals. <br />
<br />Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-85618641923673071452017-02-17T08:17:00.001-08:002017-02-17T09:13:09.139-08:00It's All Part of the JobAt a meeting this week, our staff talked about the universal
experiences of being a person who works with victims of crime. All of our staff
members agreed they had the experience of telling someone where they worked and
having that person recoil and exclaim what a difficult job it must be. And it is. There is
no doubt about that.<br />
<br />
The other universal truth we discussed was hearing of a domestic
violence homicide and checking whether you or a coworker had worked with the
victim in the past and whether you were working with him/her currently. It’s
the sad truth of the work that if someone has been in the domestic violence
field more than a handful of years, chances are they have lost a client to
homicide. It could be someone you worked with for months, just spoke with once,
tried to call and never reached them, or had worked with several times over the
years. The losses never get easier, in fact, for some of us, they get more
difficult. It's all part of the job.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some advocates burn out and leave the field. Some advocates burn
out and stay in the field. Some find a way to be resilient through it all. One
of the most important ways I have found to stay resilient is to focus on all
the good that CVAC does. In 2016, CVAC served over 7,500 victims of crime and family members. For those clients, CVAC advocates, counselors, and lawyers provided:</div>
<ul>
<li>assistance for 2,370 Order of Protection filings</li>
<li>accompaniment to 330 court hearings</li>
<li>legal representation at 149 court appearances</li>
<li>1,023 hours of counseling services</li>
<li>133 free notary services</li>
</ul>
There are also services too numerous to mention that improve the lives of our clients and help them to move from crisis to resiliency. In 2016, 91% of clients felt they had better knowledge of the resources available to them and 85% felt they could better plan for their safety after speaking with a CVAC advocate. This is also part of the job. This is the part of the job that makes going through everything else worthwhile.<br />
<br />
Comments by Jessica M., Director of Community EngagementCrime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-31561845197634673182017-01-30T07:21:00.003-08:002017-01-30T07:21:57.597-08:00Choosing Your Life or Your LivelihoodIf you had physical injuries from a domestic assault or a
sexual assault, would you choose medical care or keeping your job?
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If you had medical bills from one of those crimes, would you
choose to get help from a victim service agency or keeping your job?</div>
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If you had a hearing for an Order of Protection for abuse or
stalking, would you choose your safety or keeping your job?</div>
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If you had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from abuse, would
you choose counseling or keeping your job?</div>
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<br /></div>
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These are every day choices that clients of Crime Victim
Advocacy Center and other agencies have to make. Getting an temporary Order of Protection in the City of St. Louis can take the better part of a day plus at least one other morning in court for the full hearing. Going to the emergency room can take many hours. The average counseling client at CVAC attends 8 one hour sessions, some far more. Clients, many of whom are
hourly workers, must choose between receiving the help they need to overcome
the negative effects of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking and keeping
their jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many clients do not
get leave as a part of their employment or have used all of their leave with
previous instances of violence. Thus, taking more time off could realistically
mean being fired. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Victims are forced to choose between potentially life-saving
interventions like legal assistance, medical treatment, counseling, or
obtaining order of protection because they face losing their livelihood. A loss
of job could mean defaulting on bills or loans, physical injuries that don’t
heal properly, increased mental health issues, and homelessness. In a region
where there are thousands of requests for domestic violence shelter nights
annually that cannot be met, keeping victims employed and in stable housing is
vital to their success and safety.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Crime Victim Advocacy Center, along with other victim
service agencies and victims of all of these types of crimes, took to Jefferson
City last year to testify on behalf of a state bill to guarantee unpaid leave
to victims of domestic violence. This would have guaranteed that victims could
keep their jobs while taking the leave necessary to receive counseling, victim
services, legal assistance and to attend civil and criminal court.
Unfortunately, that state bill did not make it out of committee. </div>
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<br /></div>
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At the St. Louis City level, however, a similar bill has
been introduced. St. Louis Board of Aldermen Board Bill 261 would bring those
protections to city residents. It would require employers with 50 employees or
more to offer two weeks of unpaid leave to victims; employers of 15 people or
more would have to offer one week of unpaid leave. This protects employees who
would otherwise not be protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The bill will be heard this week in committee. As
a city, as a county, as a state, and as a nation, we must make it clear that we
don’t want any victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking to have
to choose between their life and their livelihood.</div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-74595468666610198412017-01-20T09:28:00.001-08:002017-01-20T09:28:24.098-08:00Save VAWA; Save LivesEvery incoming administration has its own policies and
priorities. On the day before President Trump’s inauguration, <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/finance/314991-trump-team-prepares-dramatic-cuts" target="_blank">a report from The Hill</a> identified several programs that his administration may eliminate. One
of those is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant program. Since 1994,
VAWA through its 15 separate grant programs has provided millions of dollars to support services to victims of
domestic violence, guidance to states and municipalities to improve the way
domestic cases are investigated and prosecuted, and provided addition support
for underserved communities. <br />
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<br /></div>
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<i>Crime Victim Advocacy Center receives more than 20% of total
revenue from VAWA grant programs. The end of those grants would affect CVAC’s
legal program that provides free legal representation at Order of Protection
hearings and for divorce and custody cases. The end of VAWA would cause a
reduction in the number of counseling hours available to victims of all types
of crime. Additionally, it would not only affect our victim advocate programs in the St.
Louis City and County Police Departments, but also the number of detectives who
investigate domestic violence cases. </i></div>
<br />
VAWA funding is not just vital to the work of CVAC; it is
vital to many agencies across the country. A full repeal of the funding stream
could force the closure of agencies that serve vulnerable victims of
interpersonal violence. These programs are often the victim’s only avenue to
escape emotional, physical, financial, and sexual violence at the hands of an
intimate partner. It is not overstating the point to say that these programs save lives. <br />
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<br /></div>
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Besides the funding, VAWA is important as a driver of
equality within the domestic violence movement. When VAWA was reauthorized in
2013, it contained a nondiscrimination clause. For the first time, lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender individuals were named as an underserved
community. VAWA mandated that agencies receiving its funding provide services
for anyone regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Funds were made
available for targeted services from victim advocates, law enforcement, and
courts to improve the response to LGBT victims of domestic violence. Without
VAWA, these services might not otherwise be available. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Certainly, there will be more to say about VAWA and its
potential elimination. No final decisions have been made as far as we know.
Take this blog as a warning, however, that the potential to end these vital
grants to police and domestic violence services is on the table for discussion
and that this move would have far-reaching and disastrous consequences for
services to domestic violence victims of all sexual orientations and gender
identities. #saveVAWAsavelives</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comments by Jessica M., Director of Advocacy & Community Services </div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-12301289597771476852016-10-24T08:43:00.000-07:002016-10-24T08:43:19.577-07:00Have you opened a can of soda today?Have you opened a can of soda today? If so, you had to exert
about 22 pounds of force to do so. What does this have to do with domestic
violence?
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the most dangerous forms of violence in a
relationship is strangulation. Victims of strangulation can die in as little as
3-10 seconds and it requires less force than most people think to cause fatal
injuries. Back to the soda can example, the force needed to open that can is
twice as much as is needed to close off a victim’s carotid artery. It’s 5 times
as much as is needed to close off a victims’ jugular vein. Either of these can
cause death or permanent brain damage in less than a minute. (<a href="https://www.strangulationtraininginstitute.com/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div>
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<br /></div>
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When an abuser puts their hands on the neck of a partner,
they are saying to that partner that they are willing to kill. Death may result
immediately, 3-21 days later as swelling and aspiration pneumonia set in, or
years later with an increased risk of stroke or other cardiovascular
consequences. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Besides the physical consequences of strangulation, victims
with a history of non-fatal strangulation are six times more likely to be the
victim of attempted domestic homicide than someone without that history and
seven times as likely to be killed. Of note is that most of these homicides
occur with a gun, not by strangulation. (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2573025/" target="_blank">study</a>)</div>
<br />
In 2009, Missouri was the first state to make attempting to strangle a partner a 2nd Degree Domestic Assault, a class C felony (MRS <span class="st">Section 565.073) in recognition of the severity of strangulation. Still, public awareness needs to catch up with policy. Victims, their families, and friends need to know how serious an instance of strangulation is, how its consequences can last for years, and the increased risk for homicide. They need to know how to report it, how to care for themselves after the crime, and what to look for in their medical future. They also need to know the realistic risks of their situation and how to protect themselves.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic violence, whether including strangulation or not, please call Crime Victim Advocacy Center at 314-652-3623 for help escaping the abuse.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<br />
<span class="st">Comments by Jessica M., Director of Advocacy & Community Services</span>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-82250253346799792082016-10-13T08:48:00.000-07:002016-10-13T08:54:01.676-07:00Changing Faces, Changing Spaces- We've Done This BeforeFor much of the history of scholarship and services on
domestic violence, the crime has been viewed as perpetrated by males against
females. This image informed policy and procedures for shelters, courts,
police, and government. That image, however, must become more
inclusive.
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Research has shown that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender individuals experience domestic violence at the same or higher
rates than straight men and women. According to a <a href="http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Intimate-Partner-Violence-and-Sexual-Abuse-among-LGBT-People.pdf" target="_blank">Williams Institute study</a>, bisexual
women are nearly three times as likely as heterosexual women to experience
sexual violence from an intimate partner. One third to one half of all
transgender people will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
Bisexual men are also more likely than heterosexual men to experience intimate
partner violence. Because of research like this and increased requests for
services for LGBTQ victims of violence, the face of domestic violence is
changing and therefore services must change, too.</div>
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<br /></div>
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LGBTQ victims of domestic violence face additional barriers
to reporting the violence and receiving services. Scholarship has shown that victims face intimidation, isolation, financial control, and other coercion not to leave or report their abuser. In addition to the techniques
that all abusers use to control their victims, LGBTQ victims may face fear of
being “outed” if they report the crime, higher likelihood of preexisting isolation from family/friends, and
systemic homophobia/transphobia/biphobia in the criminal justice system.
Lesbians and gay men who report rape challenge the system’s inherent
stereotypes that abusers are male and victims are women. Simply put, the system
is not made for LGBTQ victims, at least not yet. </div>
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<br /></div>
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How, then, can the systems we have in place for female
victims better address the changing face of domestic
violence? This will be an ongoing discussion in the coming years, but to start, agencies can:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Provide
services regardless of gender (a requirement of agencies currently receiving
Violence Against Women Act funding)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Allow
victims to self-identify gender, ask for their pronouns</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Classify
victims for groups/programs according to their gender identity</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Target
outreach and education programs to LGBTQ communities</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Develop
& implement trainings for law enforcement, courts, and other criminal
justice system partners on working with LGBTQ victims of domestic violence</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The change will not come easily, but we have been through
this before. Advocates fought for decades to increase awareness of domestic
violence; to improve the way victims are treated by the criminal justice
system; to create support networks, advocacy groups, and shelters to pick up
where society has not; and to make domestic violence an important local,
national, and international policy issue. It is imperative, then, that
advocates and policymakers turn this decades of experience and knowledge to
likewise improving the way that LGBTQ victims of intimate partner violence are
treated by society and what services are available and accessible to them.<br />
<br />
CVAC's LAAW Programs offer free services to victims of domestic violence regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. For more information, call 314-652-3623 or visit supportvictims.org. <br />
<br />
Comments by Jessica M., Director of Advocacy and Community Services </div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-30127333179454102016-10-04T11:01:00.001-07:002016-10-04T11:01:01.321-07:00When Violence Becomes a Nuisance<b>Imagine for a moment being a victim of domestic violence and…
</b>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>… your landlord tells you that the next time you need
to call 911 to escape your abuser, you need to leave your house and go down to the corner store to
do make the call.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>… the police officer who has responded for the second
time that night tells you that the next time you call 911, your property will
be flagged as a nuisance property and your landlord will have to go to a hearing. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>…. your landlord tells you that you are being evicted
because you called 911 too many times and the landlord was fined for having a
nuisance property. </b></div>
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<br /></div>
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All of these situations have
happened to St. Louis domestic violence victims due in part to the Nuisance
Property Ordinance. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What is a nuisance property?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to Chapter 15.42 of the St. Louis Code of
Ordinances, “A ‘Nuisance’ is a continuing act or physical condition which is
made, permitted, allowed or continued by any person or legal entity, their
agents or servants or any person or legal entity who aids therein which is
detrimental to the safety, welfare or convenience of the inhabitants of the
City or a part thereof, or any act or condition so designated by statute or
ordinance.” </div>
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<br /></div>
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This is commonly used to describe properties that are used for drug
sales, prostitution, illegal firearms sales, and/or illegal gambling that
require repeated contact by law enforcement and thus considerable public
resources. Repeated contact may mean as few as 3 calls to 911 in a 12-month
period.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>What are the consequences of being a nuisance property?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If a property is flagged as a nuisance, a notice is sent to
the owner or landlord and they are given 30 days to remedy the problem. If the
situation is not remedied, the landlord or owner will be given a hearing after
which, if found guilty of maintaining a nuisance, they may face a fine and up
to 90 days in jail with escalating punishments for each additional offense. One
way that landlords and owners may abate the nuisance is by evicting or removing
the tenants of the property.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What does this have to do with domestic violence?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Domestic violence victims who have to call 911 on their
abuser multiple times may get caught up in the nuisance property process.
This means their landlords may face punishment and the victims may face eviction. Currently, the City Police Department’s Problem Properties Unit along with
Aldermen and the City Counselor’s Office attempt to cull the domestic violence
calls from the problem properties list to prevent them from being identified as
nuisance properties. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Why is this important?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Domestic violence is one of the most under-reported crimes.
Estimates range from 50%-80% of domestic violence incidents going unreported to
police. Anything like the nuisance property ordinance that is perceived to
punish domestic violence victims for repeatedly calling for help may decrease
the likelihood of reporting and delay victims’ access to services and escape from
the situation. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Furthermore, with the demand for domestic violence shelter beds far outstripping the available supply, finding emergency housing for a victim facing eviction is a difficult task especially without the assistance of a trained victim advocate. Victims may also be denied future housing if their past landlords report that they created a nuisance in previous housing. Even if the cases are being removed from the nuisance list, however, there is still
a lot of misinformation by landlords and the public that results in threats or evictions even when the nuisance ordinance does not apply. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What can be done?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first step that advocates suggest is to formalize the exception to the nuisance
property ordinance. Such a bill has been introduced as Board Bill #151,
introduced by Ald. Megan Green and cosponsored by Ald. Sharon Tyus, Ald.
Christine Ingrassia, Ald. Jeffrey Boyd, Ald. Scott Ogilvie, and Ald. Lyda Krewson.
This would add language to the ordinance that “Notwithstanding any other
provisions in this Section, a public nuisance does not exist solely: A. as a
result of calls to alw enforcement officer of agencies for assistance in
regards to alleged domestic violence. B. due to incidents of domestic
violence.” This is not the only language that could be used, but it is a
compromise that is currently before the Board of Aldermen that deserves serious consideration. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>If the domestic violence cases are being removed from the
list, why change anything?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the "if it ain't broke" like of argument. The exception for domestic violence victims, however, is not
officially written into the statute. This process depends on police officers
and government officials voluntarily excluding domestic violence cases from the
nuisance property laws. As personnel or opinions change, however, this practice
could be eliminated without explicit statutory language to mandate its continuation. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What comes next?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Changing the nuisance ordinance alone will not remedy the
misinformation that the general public, landlords, and tenants have about the
process. The Problem Properties Unit of the Police Department, domestic
violence agencies, Aldermen, and neighborhood groups would all be well-served to develop
and maintain educations programs to refute the misinformation about the nuisance ordinance and to notify victims and landlords of their rights and responsibilities.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What about other victims of violence?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Domestic violence victims are not the only victims who may
be caught up in the nuisance ordinance. In September 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released suggestions for new protections for victims who need to access 911 services. These state that nuisance ordinances that punish victims for calling 911 may violate the Fair Housing Act to the extent that they are disproportionately applied to women, the most common victims of domestic violence. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Further, HUD goes on to suggest that jurisdictions should repeal or revisit nuisance ordinances that implicitly encourage evictions or other sanctions for victims of domestic violence and other crime victims for using 911 services. Depending on the success of formally excluding domestic violence victims from the nuisance ordinance, St. Louis should next evaluate whether their ordinance similarly burdens victims of other types of crime and exempt them as well. </div>
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<br /></div>
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LAAW Programs of CVAC serve thousands of domestic violence victims annually regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence, please call CVAC at 314-652-3623. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comments by Jessica M., Director of Advocacy and Community Services</div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-65126487019557853422016-06-13T09:17:00.002-07:002016-06-13T09:19:12.665-07:00Hate resonates.Hate resonates. It ripples out from Orlando to touch lives
in St. Louis and across the world. What happened in Orlando is not only a crime
against the patrons of the Pulse Nightclub, but it's also an attack on all LGBTQ
community members. This is how hate crimes are different.
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could recite the scholarly literature from my dissertation
on hate and bias crimes that lists how hate crimes are more serious than other
crimes, cause greater injuries, and evoke more trauma and increased likelihood of PTSD.
What is at the heart of this matter, however, is that hate crimes target people
for <i>what they are</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, rather than </span><i>who
they are</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. While the crime in Orlando has not officially been ruled a hate crime, it certainly appears to be one. Those victims could have been any
LGBTQ individuals as far as the shooter was concerned. The victims were interchangeable and he shot indiscriminately.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>“I’m scared, scared that I cannot be who I truly am in
public without grave harm to myself”</b> That is the heartbreaking text that nearly
brought me to my knees last night in the wake of the Pulse Nightclub shootings.
It was from a dear friend of mine who only recently has begun to explore her
sexuality and gender identity. It’s from a dear friend of mine who has not been
able to tell her family and most of her friends about her identity. It's from a dear friend who lives nowhere close to Orlando, but still fears and hurts. It is from a dear friend who has a trusted few friends that know her true self and who relies on the safety of
LGBTQ-friendly areas and clubs to express herself. That perceived safety has been shattered for her and so many more people all across the country.</div>
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There’s really no answer I can give to her fear. All I can say is that I am scared, too. I’m scared for her and anyone else who suffers harm at
the hand of hate. I’m scared that nowhere is safe for her. I’m scared that
there’s nothing I can do to protect my friend. I’m scared that this will
discourage her from being her true self. <b>Most of all, I’m scared that hate will
win. We can’t let hate win. </b></div>
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<b>If you are scared, angry, sad, hurt, or anxious because of the shootings in Orlando, you can call Crime Victim Advocacy Center for free counseling at 314-652-3623. </b> </div>
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Comments by Jessica M., Director of Advocacy Services</div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-8103121955455640622015-08-20T12:27:00.001-07:002015-08-20T12:28:14.548-07:00The Power of ImperfectionIt is tempting to look for perfection. In many aspects of
life, people have come to the understanding that perfection is unattainable. There
is still, however, an idea of what makes a “perfect” crime victim. People
imagine a grandmother on her way to church on Sunday morning who is struck by a
stray bullet. They think of a woman jogging in the middle of the day who is
dragged into the bushes and raped by a stranger in a ski mask. Not all victims fit
those criteria, but in their stories is power.
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If you have read media coverage of a crime that lists what a
rape victim drank the night of her victimization or what the victim was
wearing, you have witnessed victim blaming. If you have seen a story on a
homicide that rattled off the victim’s previous arrests or convictions which
may have happened decades ago, you have witnessed the blaming. All of this
blaming points out what society deems as “imperfections” in the victim’s story,
tarnishing to the victim’s reputation and credibility. </div>
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For years, victim advocates have fought the perception that certain actions somehow make a victim’s story less legitimate or worthy
of empathy. Advocates have fought the notion that behaving anything less than
what society deems “perfectly” makes someone less of the innocent, blameless
victim. This standard does a disservice to the majority of victims by marginalizing
their experience and shifting blame from the attacker to the
victim.</div>
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When a victim isn’t “perfect” according to society, there is
the greatest room to make an impact on society. No one will question the
outrage created by the murder of a grandmother on her way to church. To have
the same outrage when an individual with a checkered past is murdered at 2am in
an alley is the test that victim advocates and allies must pass, a test that
the media and the rest of society so often fail. </div>
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When an advocate stands next to a sexual assault victim
while everyone around her is asking why she drank so much, why she went back to
a room alone with the perpetrator, or why she was wearing a short skirt, that
advocate is taking a strong stand against rape. That advocate is also taking a
stand against society’s warped notion of what a perfect, blameless, innocent
victim is by reinforcing that blame for the crime lies with the person who
chose to rape another human being, not with the victim. The advocate can not
only defend that victim, but also make an impact for future victims by moving
the needle on society’s view of victimization.</div>
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<b>There is power in “imperfection.” It is when advocates and
allies stand up for the most marginalized victims of crime or those branded as “imperfect”
victims that they take the biggest stand and can have the most impact. It is
not always easy to stand by those who society has marginalized and blamed for
their victimization, but it is one of the most important purposes of Crime
Victim Advocacy Center since its founding in 1972 and up to the present day. We
reject victim blaming and unattainable notions of perfection in favor of
supporting all victims of crime simply because they deserve to be supported. Support
CVAC, support crime victims, and find the power in imperfection. </b><br />
<br />
Comments by Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy<b> </b></div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-71926590390119648052015-08-06T11:33:00.000-07:002015-08-06T12:13:49.309-07:00Why are there so many murders this year?If I had a nickel for every time I have been asked that
question over the last few months, I could afford to treat myself and
maybe a coworker or two to lunch off a fast food’s restaurant’s dollar menu. I have heard
this from clients, coworkers, reporters, classmates, family, and friends. I
usually say that I don’t know, but I guess that’s not entirely true. The true
answer is that the explanation behind the high homicide rate, at least in my
opinion, is so complicated that it defies easy explanation and also easy
solution. I could give an answer to every person who asks me, but they would probably
regret asking after the first 15 minutes of my answer. Even such a long-winded
answer from someone who has worked with the families of homicide victims for more than 10 years would certainly still underestimate the circumstances and causes that have led us to this
point in 2015.
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Homicide rates are affects by nearly every aspect of
society. Economy, education, family structure, legal and illegal drug use,
weapons policy, gangs, community reactions to law enforcement, climate,
geography and many more feed into the homicide rate. Neither a single one of
these nor the sum total of these is an excuse for violence. They are just an
illustration of the complexity of the problem that has vexed St. Louis for
years and this year in particular. That is why there are so many murders in St.
Louis, although the exact mechanism by which these interacted in 2015 is unknown at this time. We are a city with a lot of problems and most of those problems
contribute to our violence rate. We are also a city with a lot of potential and human capital to put toward fixing those problems. </div>
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If the causes of murder are complex, the solutions are
necessarily so. Many solutions to the high homicide rate only take into account
one or two of these issues. We often find a solution to a problem within our
purview or skill set because of how we define the problem. The solution presupposes the problem. If you are in control of the police department, this
looks like a problem that can be solved with more officers. If you are a
politician, it looks like a problem that requires a law change whether that is
reevaluating drug policy, gun policy, or others. If you are a prosecutor, this
is a problem that requires better cooperation with prosecution to reduce the
number of murderers who get away with their crimes. If you are an educator, we
need to increase student retention and quality of education. If you work with
families, you may see the need for fatherhood initiatives to encourage men to
be more involved in their children’s lives of programs to divert kids from
joining gangs. The fact is, most of these solutions will probably affect the murder rate to different degrees and all are based in the logic of how and why crimes happen. A single leader or small number of them, however, cannot affect all of the causes of victimization. </div>
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Ultimately, we are holding leaders responsible for solving a
problem that is so much bigger than their sphere of influence. That does not
excuse them from their obligations; it just means they need to think bigger and
more strategically to have a true influence on the violence that has plagued
our city. </div>
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Comments by: Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy Services & Special Victims Advocate</div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-23517058871056361412015-06-02T12:33:00.000-07:002015-06-02T12:33:00.994-07:00Why Caitlyn Jenner Matters to Crime Victims<a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/caitlyn-jenner-bruce-cover-annie-leibovitz" target="_blank">Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover</a> has garned a lot of media
attention this week. Some lauded her look. Others had more negative responses,
choosing to call her "Bruce" or to use masculine pronouns when referring to her.
Some individuals grumbled about America’s celebrity-worshipping culture and
bemoaned the fact that there are more pressing issues than Caitlyn’s gender
identity, like war and famine. To transgender individuals, however, the issue
of self-intentity and self-expression can be just as much a matter of life,
death, and health as those issues are.
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By introducing herself to the world as a transgender woman,
Caitlyn has taken a brave step that shines a light on a population that is
still fighting for recognition and respect in the United States. Because of
their marginalized status, transgender individuals are at increased risk for
violent victimization. According to the <a href="http://www.ovc.gov/pubs/forge/sexual_assault.html" target="_blank">Office for Victims of Crime</a>:</div>
<ul>
<li><i>one in two
transgender individuals</i> will be the victim of sexual violence in their
lifetime </li>
<li><i>half of transgender women</i> report being physically
assaulted by an intimate partner after revealing their status as transgender</li>
<li>in 2009, <i>half of the LGBT victims of fatal hate crimes</i> were transgender women. </li>
</ul>
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However, in 34 states, transgender individuals are not legally protected by
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime_laws_in_the_United_States" target="_blank">hate crime laws</a>.
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These high incidence of victimization among transgender
individuals may be just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Statistics and data
collection from this highly marginalized population may not be telling the
whole story. Furthermore, transgender victims of crime may not be seeking help
through the normal channels that are available to cisgender individuals. The
<a href="http://www.ovc.gov/pubs/forge/sexual_assault.html" target="_blank">Office for Victims of Crime</a> reports that only 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ victims of
sexual or domestic violence get services through traditional providers like
shelters, legal programs, and victim advocacy groups.</div>
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So, what can be done?</div>
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1. <b><a href="http://www.ovc.gov/pubs/forge/about_language.html#transgender" target="_blank">Learn your terms.</a></b> For example- Gender is a social construct like girls
wearing pink and boys playing with trucks. Sex consists of the genetic markers and
genitalia that someone has. Transgender individuals identify with a gender that is not the one associated with their biological sex. Cisgender individuals are those whose biological sex and preferred gender identity coincide. Some individuals do not identify with a binary gender and may identify with both genders or neither. Learn what the letters mean in LGBTQ(IA+). Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words DO matter and they CAN hurt people.</div>
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2. <b>Respect Caitlyn Jenner, but don't idealize her. </b>Ms. Jenner is one of the first celebrities to have been in the spotlight as a male and also while transitioning to female. Caitlyn is absolutely gorgeous in her Annie Liebovitz photos, but she also has advantages that not all transgender individuals enjoy- besides photoshop and a professional photographer! </div>
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Gender reassignment surgery, breast augmentation/reduction, facial resculpting/impants, and shaving of the adams apple are all costly medical procedures that many insurance plans don't cover. Ms. Jenner has ostensibly been lucky enough to have at least some of these procedures along with hormone therapy that can also be prohibitively expensive for some trans people. Her privilege also potentially insulates her from societal consequences to transitioning like job loss. <a href="http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/transgender-faq#11" target="_blank">Thirty-two states </a>allow individuals to be fired simply for being transgender. Ms. Jenner was lucky enough to get a reality show, but that is of course not a typical outcome for trans individuals. </div>
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We must remind ourselves that "passing" for the other gender or how closely a trans person matches our societal norm of "masculine" or "feminine" is not the burden of proof for their acceptance. Individuals who identify as trans but cannot afford surgery, hormone therapy, or other medical procedures are no less worthy of the love and respect owed to all humans. Ms. Jenner is beautiful, but anyone who is able to express their true self even in the face of strong societal gender norms should be appreciated for their strength, bravery, and beauty, as well. </div>
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3. <b>Demand better treatment.</b> The criminal justice system and service providers should be called to task for their treatment of trans victims. Police Departments must be trained on issues as simple as how to address a trans person For example, when all else fails, ASK how that person how they prefer to be addressed or use gender-neutral pronouns. Also (not specific to law enforcement), lose the term "tranny" from your vocabulary. It makes anyone who uses it sound outdated and transphobic. Training like this is available and can be obtained through CVAC and its partners.</div>
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Whether they exclude them from their service population or just ignore the incidence, victim service providers are at least partially responsible for the small number of trans victims who seek services. CVAC's domestic violence programs are inclusive, but the name Legal Advocates for Abused Women Program predated that inclusivity and may deter trans individuals from seeking help. That is an issue that CVAC must address going forward. Not every service provider has to serve people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, but as a community, victim service agencies must make the effort to identify service providers, reach out to the LGBTQ+ population, and to streamline service provision across agencies. </div>
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<b>Caitlyn Jenner is just one trans woman, but she has in her story the potential to expose the life or death struggles than many transgender individuals experience on a daily basis. High criminal victimization rates against transgender individuals are an important part of this picture. The information here is only the start of the conversation, but it is an important one that CVAC plans to continue with our partners.</b></div>
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Comments by Director of Advocacy Services</div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-35022956629954362092014-06-03T10:48:00.001-07:002014-06-23T07:52:35.894-07:00The questions matter, not just the answers.Last week, Glenn Beck’s <i>The Blaze</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> started a firestorm with a skit meant to undermine
the statistics used to justify tighter scrutiny of the way
college campuses respond to sexual assault of students. Bloomberg Businessweek
does a good job of putting the statistics into context in their article linked
<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-29/glenn-becks-man-in-a-blonde-wig-fails-to-debunk-rape-statistics#p1" target="_blank">here</a>. (The link also includes the video of the skit if you care to watch it.) I would argue that the bigger point, however, is not about parsing out the statistics. Rather, the questions that they asked are most informative.</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-style: normal;">Granted, the questions seem like researchers are taking a circuitous route to their final numbers, and that leads to the show's criticism. The studies asked about specific behavior or situations often without using the term "rape" or "sexual abuse." The host of the segment declares that if he were to study the percentage of women who were raped, he would ask them "Have you been raped?" The more direct the approach the better the answers, right? Apparently it does not occur to him that some women may choose not to identify themselves as rape victims to a man they do not know, especially one who asks in such blunt, careless language. Maybe he should be asking why researchers feel they have to explicitly state different sexual assault and sexual coercion situations to elicit responses rather than just asking the simple question. Therein lies the lesson.</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-style: normal;">Researchers have learned that victims of sexual violence do not always identify as "rape victims" or "sexual assault victims" even if their experience meets the legal definition. There are different explanations for this phenomenon. One of the most troubling ones that has surfaced in research is that some of these abusive behaviors are normalized by society in a way that victims no longer identify as victims of sexual violence. This is not a matter of "</span>The president is saying the women were raped and these women are saying they weren’t" as <i>The Blaze</i> host opines. It is at least in part about what our culture tells even the youngest women about their body and how men will treat or mistreat them.<br />
<br />
In a <a href="http://gas.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/02/28/0891243214526468.full?keytype=ref&siteid=spgas&ijkey=1zjS.dsfVDs32" target="_blank">study</a> published in <i>Gender & Society</i>, researchers found that child victims routinely trivialized, minimized, or justified sexual harassment and sexual abuse committed against them. Sexually aggressive boys who touched girls without their consent or used sexually explicit language to proposition the girls were understood as "boys being boys." Even adult men who pursued sexual contact with underage girls were sometime given this pass by the victims. <br />
<br />
One 14 year old in the study relayed a story about a boy on her school bus who repeatedly touched her over her protests. He ultimately told her that he planned to come to her house and rape her since she was not acquiescing to his sexual overtures. This girl repeated dismissed the threats and aggression as the boy "feeling rejected" or "just joking." She did not identify as a victim of sexual abuse or sexually aggressive behavior.<br />
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Like the women in the studies that <i>The Blaze</i> skewers, the children in this study did not always report the abuse to authority figures because they didn't believe it was serious enough to warrant reporting. These are young girls being forcibly touched against their will. Boys (and sometimes men) are touching their bodies without their consent and the girls don't consider it serious enough to report. They change their own behavior by trying to avoid the situation or the boy or by trying to divert his attention, but they do not identify the males' behavior as abusive. The girls' own behavior belies their discomfort with the situation, but they do not express that in terms of sexual abuse. <br />
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It's not just the boys who normalize this behavior. Mothers tell their daughters to expect sexual aggression and to protect themselves. After being forced to perform oral sex on a 17 year old boy, Terri (age
11) took the blame on herself saying, "I shouldn't have been there, my
mom said I should've been home anyway, but I didn't want to get raped so I had to." This girl was forced, under threat of forced vaginal intercourse, to perform oral sex against her will. Still, she does not identify as a rape or sexual assault victim.<br />
<br />
Another 14 year old girl reported that a 30-something year old man touched her leg, thigh, breasts, and vagina. When asked to reflect on the encounter later, she said, "He does it to everyone, you know, it's just happens sometimes." Other girls reported being given alcohol to facilitate sexual abuse, repeatedly being propositioned by adults who had already sexually abused their peers, and being shamed or threatened with shaming for their sexual behavior. Still, some of the girls criticized themselves and their peers for not successfully avoiding the abuse and normalized the males' behavior as just part of the way things are. <br />
<br />
Get that? Women and girls can be subjected to aggressive sexual behavior, sexual abuse, sexual violence, and rape without necessarily identifying themselves as rape victims. It's not always the case, but it does happen. It does not mean that they are not victims, it just means that we have to be smarter and more delicate in the way we ask the questions. It is the nuanced questions, like in the studies lambasted by <i>The Blaze</i> that elicit descriptions of those victimizations. Until we can change our culture which tells women to expect, normalize, and take responsibility for the violence committed against them by males, the least we can do is ask the right questions to let them tell their stories.<br />
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Comments by: Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy Services </span>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-50419752925171774352014-05-06T07:15:00.001-07:002014-05-06T07:23:13.546-07:00The Faces<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I feel like someone is looking over my shoulder. Not in the
“NSA is reading my emails” kind of way. Rather, when I look to my left, I see
three handsome smiling faces- pictures of people I have never met.
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Probably the most consistent fear I hear from my clients is
not that someone else in their family will be hurt. It’s not that the
perpetrator will never be brought to justice. The most common fear I hear from
my clients is that no one will remember their son or daughter, their brother or
sister, their mother or father. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s a realistic fear in a city and in a culture where most
crime stories last for one news cycle before they are replaced by newer ones.
Certainly, some stories capture the attention of the public or the media, but
those are the exception. Sometimes it is because the victim was especially
young. Sometimes it’s because the victim doesn’t fit this city’s stereotype of
what a homicide victim looks like. Sometimes it is because the crime happened
in a part of the city that most people consider “safe.” The media reminds us of
these cases, but not of the rest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">For the majority of the cases, by the time the funeral is
held, there are no cameras or reporters there. There is just a family that has
been left behind. There are young friends who have to wrestle with the reality
of their own mortality much too early. There are ministers, police officers,
and advocates who have dedicated themselves to helping to pick up the pieces
and to help those families to find justice, renewed meaning, and happiness, but
there is no media. They have moved on to the latest story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Out of the 120 homicides in St. Louis City last year, could
you name 5 victims? How about 2? If you were not related to the victim or you
don’t work in victim services, that’s probably a difficult task. It seems like
the fear of families that their loved ones who were taken too soon will be
forgotten is a realistic concern.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">That is what brings me back to the three gentlemen over my
shoulder. These three boys were killed to early, all before their 21<sup>st</sup>
birthday. They are three victims whose families have chosen to add their
portraits to an exhibit called the Faces Project which was started by local artist Christine Ilewski. The Faces Project gives
families a way to ensure that the memory of their loved one goes on. The faces
and the stories will be preserved in this traveling exhibit, and they will be seen and
read far beyond where the family alone could take them. They will testify to
the toll that gun crime takes on young victims. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwdrYbBGWnbe8PWkTwyqwnIIxkLVbcGGq_0QOZNAwgozHcOiYd6o5IVx8O6Fb2jwixUtyy7Aoy85jPEo-RIoupdX2KOgkiSNlL6j8XGYNvKECpM9RxcOfexPN3ZqKiypmzGM3swpWoHE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwdrYbBGWnbe8PWkTwyqwnIIxkLVbcGGq_0QOZNAwgozHcOiYd6o5IVx8O6Fb2jwixUtyy7Aoy85jPEo-RIoupdX2KOgkiSNlL6j8XGYNvKECpM9RxcOfexPN3ZqKiypmzGM3swpWoHE/s1600/photo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I will remember these happy faces. I will remember the grief
of their families, but I will also remember the hope that we have been able to give
them through a partnership of advocacy and art. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I invite you to come and to see the faces at this month’s
showing of the Faces Project. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">May 9- June 6, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Opening reception May 9 from 7-10pm</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://soulardartmarket.org/" target="_blank">Soulard Art Market</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">2028 South 12th Street</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">St. Louis, MO 63104 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Comments by Jessica Meyers, Special Victims Advocate</span></div>
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</div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-9355152783703863132014-04-15T14:05:00.001-07:002014-04-15T14:08:42.167-07:00Why does hate matter?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the wake of events like Sunday's shootings in Overland Park,
KS, people often ask what is so different about a hate crime. Conventional
logic tells us that in order to violently victimize someone, you would have to at
least dislike if not hate that person. Still, the law distinguishes between
“regular” crimes and “hate” crimes. Why?
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Part of the insidious nature of hate crimes is that they are
not just committed against one person. Rather than targeting a person for some
perceived wrong he/she committed, the suspect in a hate crime targets a person simply because
they are a member of a certain group (or believed to be a member of that
group). It is a crime against an entire community of people based solely on a
characteristics that are largely outside of their control like race, ethnicity,
gender, sexuality, or religion. Because hate crimes are perceived as attacks on
entire groups, there is elevated risk of retaliation and escalating violence. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are two very important lessons to take away from the
tragic crimes in Kansas. The first is that a victim need not belong to a
minority group to be the victim of a hate crime. What matters for
the purposes of hate crimes charges is that they were targeted because the perpetrator
believed they belonged to a certain group. In this case, the victims were
chosen because of their suspected affiliation with two Jewish institutions. While all three were Christian, according to media reports, that is not the important factor in the decision to charge the alleged perpetrator with a hate crime. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What matters for hate crime charges is whether victims are targeted because of their real or perceived membership in a
particular group. It does not matter whether that group is a minority or a
majority in our society. The
same charges could be leveled against a perpetrator who shot people outside of
a mosque or outside of a Christian church because he/she believed the victims
were members of that religion. Members of majority or minority groups may be victims of hate crimes. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Perhaps the more important takeaway from this crime is that
hate crimes legislation does not criminalize speech. It only increases
the punishment for criminal acts. One of the reasons given for opposing hate crimes
legislation is that such laws punish people for exercising their Constitutional
rights to freedom of speech. According to news sources, the suspect in the
recent case had a history racist, anti-Semitic speech documented through letters, campaign ads, and over <a href="http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2014/04/14/frazier-glenn-miller-suspected-kansas-shooter-posted-thousands-of-messages-to-white-supremacist-board/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank">12,000 internet postings</a> on one site alone. None of those were charged as hate crimes. They were not hate crimes. In order for someone to be charged with
a hate crime, they must commit a criminal act. Hate crimes legislation does not
impinge on individuals’ freedom of speech. The suspect was only arrested on
hate crimes charges once he resorted to violence, a criminal act. <i>Speech is not
a hate crime</i> unless the person commits or incites violent, criminal acts.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hate crime prosecutions are not about controlling the exercise of free
speech. They are not just committed against "the others" in society. They are about increasing penalties for individuals who <i>commit a crime</i>
against a person or group for <i>what</i> they are, not <i>who</i> they are. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hate matters because it preys on fear, misinformation, and anger to incite violence. </span>Hate matters because it breaks the bonds that hold us together as a city, a state, and a country. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hate matters
because crimes against individuals based on their membership in a group
depersonalize victims and alienate entire communities from the larger society.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Comments by Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy Services </span> </div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-28094495876711270642013-05-31T09:37:00.000-07:002013-05-31T09:39:48.452-07:00A Knight, A Captain, and A Role Model<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Sir Patrick Stewart is not just the man behind Capt. Jean-Luc Picard of the Startship Enterprise. He is a voiceover artist, a Shakespearean actor, and a survivor of domestic violence. At (of all places) Comicpalooza in Houston, Texas, a brave woman- herself a victim of abuse- thanked him for his work on behalf of ending violence against women and asked "Besides acting, what are you most proud of that you have done in you life (that you are willing to share with us)?” His answer stopped me in my tracks and I knew I had to share it. He is eloquent, steadfast, and above all genuine.</span> At the end of the video, Sir Patrick Stewart hugged the woman who asked the question and whispered to her <a href="http://lemonsweetie.tumblr.com/post/51652237280/let-me-tell-you-a-thing-about-an-amazing-man?c=upworthy" target="_blank">"You never have to go through that again. You're safe now."</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ldGBEesi-Mw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sir Patrick Stewart has a spotlight because he is famous. He has chosen to expose a painful part of his life to that glaring light and to use it to help others. His sentiment that men must be responsible for ending violence against women is one that any and all men should adopt. You do not have to be famous. You do not have to have a history of being abused. You just have to be a man who will no longer tolerate violence against women, who will no longer blame the victims of abuse, and who will not be ashamed to say so. Men can guarantee that women never have to go through abuse again. Men can make sure that women are safe now and in the future.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Comments by Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy Services </div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-77535731342350388242013-04-16T15:15:00.001-07:002013-04-16T15:15:38.510-07:00A picture is worth a thousand words, but are all pictures worth publishing?Crime Victim Advocacy Center staff members are teaching 60
continuing education sessions for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Besides teaching the officers how to communicate with victims of trauma and
grief, we (hopefully) teach them some ways to deal with their own trauma- the
trauma that comes from seeing what they see and hearing what they hear on a
daily basis. It’s the proverbial “put on your oxygen mask before trying to help
the child next to you” approach to mental health. If you’re burnt out, it’s
only going to make your job harder. One of the coping mechanisms we offer is to
avoid traumatic material like books, movies, or news after you’ve had a
particularly bad day, week, or month. The same suggestion holds true for other
trauma workers, including the staff at CVAC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am not ashamed to admit that I have been feeling a little
“toasty” around the edges. Not burnt out, but definitely moving in that
direction. With the police training still fresh in my mind, I took great pains
to avoid the coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing. I knew there were graphic
images out there. A coworker said she had seen a picture of someone who had
lost a limb and all other sorts of injuries. That was the type of traumatic
material I knew I should avoid. Practice what you preach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, in the midst of my Facebook newsfeed this morning,
among a host of messages supporting the victims of the bombing, I saw a picture
of a man in a wheelchair with a tourniquet around his thigh. The photo also
showed rest of his amputated limb including the exposed bone and shredded
muscle. My first thought was to immediately unfriend the person who posted it,
which I did. My second thought was to question why someone would post that on Facebook.
Then, a bigger issue came to mind. Why is that image out there to be posted on
Facebook? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It did not look like a photo taken on a smartphone. It looked like a professional photograph. With a quick Google search, I found it on a number of reputable news sources.
Many of the websites had cropped the image to avoid showing the gory remnants
of the victim’s limb, but others had not. One website blurred the man’s face
for his privacy, but still showed the rest of the graphic image. The same online photo galleries where I found the original shot showed victims lying in the midst of a blood-splattered sidewalk just minutes
after the bombing occurred and other blood-spattered, screaming victims on gurneys. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I understand that when there is a tragedy like the bombing
yesterday, people crave information. News sources want to get out as much
content as possible, especially if the public's safety might be in jeopardy. I understand that a picture is worth a thousand words. I also understand
that each bloody person you see in a news photo is a victim who has family and
friends that will likely see those pictures. Those images may have reached them before word
from their loved one. Those images may be the last ones that some families have of
their children or brothers or sisters. Not to mention the toll that those graphic images take on the
general public.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not want to regulate the press. The free press is one
of the cornerstones of our free speech. Free speech, however, does not mean
printing or distributing everything that crosses a news desk. I would ask the
press to be more thoughtful in what they are posting. When something is on the
internet, it is there forever regardless of whether it is later removed from a website or
censored by some sources. Those images are permanent. Decisions like whether to post graphic material have
permanent consequences for the people who have already been victimized or those who
are simply bystanders to the tragedy. Those consequences may not be <i>seen</i> by the media, but
they will doubtless be <i>felt</i> by those who have already been put through so much
pain.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comments by Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy Services </div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-662052396707988932013-04-03T08:47:00.000-07:002013-04-03T08:49:39.603-07:00And I think to myself...<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thinking of the faces is not something that I regularly do.
It is a luxury that I cannot afford to myself. It doesn’t mean I don’t care
about the victims. It’s just self-preservation. I have always been afraid
of being crushed under the weight of all the pain and loss.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I started my college
internship at CVAC in 2002, the second case I opened was with the mother of a
homicide victim. I still remember the victim's name, but I never saw his face. Since then, I have worked with hundreds of
families of homicide victims. I have seen some of the faces on t-shirts their
families wear or on funeral programs families bring to our
office, but it’s always in passing. I know the names. I see them over and over
in case notes and in the list of names I assemble for our annual homicide
victims’ vigil. I don’t know their faces.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes the stars align. Sometimes God smiles on us.
Sometimes karma brings us good things. Sometimes there are coincidences that
turn out for the best. However you want to attribute it, you know what I mean.
And so it went with CVAC’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week event this year.
Victims’ Rights Week was coming up. An artist was looking for pictures of young victims of gun violence. A gallery just a couple blocks from the CVAC office gives space to artists free of charge. It turns out that the
artist’s schedule, the gallery’s availability, and Victims’ Rights Week all
coincided, so we scheduled the exhibit and an opening reception.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For the <a href="http://www.ilewski.com/" target="_blank">“Faces Project,”</a> Christine Ilewski paints watercolor
portraits of young victims of gun violence, donates the original to the family,
and collages reproductions of the portraits onto vintage handkerchiefs. These images make up a traveling exhibit with a mission to raise awareness of the toll gun violence takes on American youth. So, with the help of coworkers and interns, I
narrowed down our clients according to the artist’s guidelines (victims under 20
years of age and killed by a gun) and sent them an invitation to participate
along with an envelope for them to return the release form and a photograph of
their loved one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A few responses arrived in the mail. I did not open them. I
told myself it was just to keep them from getting lost. If I’m being honest
with myself, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see the faces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, one showed up with a handwritten note on the
outside of the envelope that read “Last picture he took! Thank you.” My
curiosity got the best of me and I opened the envelope. Seeing the picture
nearly brought me to tears (which my coworkers could tell you is a rare occurrence).
Then one arrived with a familiar return address, so I opened that one, too.
Same result. Finally, I decided to open the rest. I found not only pictures, but
also notes about the victims. Even in the midst of their grief, the families found happiness in this project and in telling their loved one's story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then it hit me, the tears I was holding back were
not tears of sadness. Instead, I was in awe of how much this project meant to people and
of the very small part that I could play in making it happen. I was in awe of how
these families let us into their lives at the worst time and how much trust
they place in us. Rather than crushing me under their weight, the faces buoyed my spirit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whenever I tell people where I work, they either tell me a
story of their own victimization, they try to get away from me as quickly as
possible, or they tell me how sad or hard my job must be. It’s true, although I
don’t let myself think about that. Just like I don’t let myself dwell on the
faces. Somehow, though, I am sitting at my desk and listening to Louie
Armstrong sing “What a Wonderful World” and thinking that it couldn’t be truer.
It’s a cruel world. It’s a difficult world. It’s a sad world. It is also a
wonderful world. And sometimes there is wonder in the midst of the sadness. It
is with that revelation in mind that I invite you to come see the faces. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Friday, April 19, 2013</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5pm-7pm<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ulstl.org/vaughn_cultural_center.aspx" target="_blank">Vaughn Cultural Center</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3701 Grandel</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">St. Louis, MO<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>63103</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Comments by Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy Services </span></div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-35004672584938339832013-04-01T13:51:00.000-07:002013-04-01T13:56:56.359-07:00Taking stock of our resourcesToday, several media outlets circulated news about a push to
establish a National Compassion Fund for victims of mass shootings. Families of
some of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and of several
highly publicized mass-shooting events have created a petition on the White
House’s petition page to collect funds and to give them directly to the victims’ families. Since most
people do not think about victim services until they need it or until it is in
the news, this petition provides a perfect opportunity to explore the resources
that St. Louis has to offer in the case of a local mass-shooting attack.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Need: Funeral & Medical Expenses</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Resource: <a href="http://www.dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/cvc/" target="_blank">Missouri Crime Victims’ Compensation</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Services:
Mo CVC can provide up to $5000 in reimbursement for funeral expenses and up to $25,000 in medical expenses, lost wages, and/or loss of support for children.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Need: Counseling for Adults</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Resource: <a href="http://supportvictims.org/" target="_blank">Crime Victim Advocacy Center</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Services:
Free trauma-specific counseling for anyone age 10 and up</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Need: Counseling for Children</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Resource: <a href="https://frcmo.org/" target="_blank">Family Resource Center</a>, <a href="http://www.annieshope.org/" target="_blank">Annie’s Hope</a>, and others</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Need: Spiritual Support</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Resource: <a href="http://www.slmpd.org/homicide_ministers.html" target="_blank">Homicide, Ministers & Community Alliance</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Services:
A volunteer minister is paired with grieving families to provide sensitivity
and support to the families of homicide victims, to rebuild and strengthen
relationships between the Police Department and the community and to reduce the
likelihood of retaliation</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Need: Group Counseling</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Resource: NOVA (National Organization for Victim Assistance)
Gateway Crisis Response Team</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Services:
<span class="text">CRT responds to crises in the workplace, neighborhoods,
organizations and corporations with group crisis intervention and companioning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="text">This list is by no means exhaustive
of all possible needs, but it also does not cover all of the available services.
Listing all of the resources available would far exceed the limits of this blog and the limits of its readers' attention spans. While we cannot provide direct funds to victims like a National Compassion
Fund, victim advocates at CVAC will assess what needs a family has and will do
their best to find a resource to meet those needs. <b>You can reach CVAC at our hotline 314-652-3623.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text">Comments by Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy Services<b> </b></span></div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-14287970731655368802013-02-26T14:35:00.002-08:002013-02-26T14:39:24.208-08:00Asking the tough questions<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Lest the <a href="http://supportvictims.blogspot.com/2013/02/an-ounce-of-prevention.html">previous post</a> give the reader the impression that
men are the only ones who have work to do regarding rape in our culture, I posit
that women also have work to do. Contrary to the traditional approach where women
must work at preventing rape, I argue we must work harder on how we react to other
women who have been raped. We cannot control the actions of other, we can only control how we react to them.
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">To do this, we must ask ourselves difficult questions like:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Why do women continue to have the prevention discussion when
it puts an unfair burden on them? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Why do we take on the responsibility for preventing rape
when the responsibility really belongs on men not to rape? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Why do we criticize and stigmatize other women for their choices?
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Why do we look at a victim and try to find a way to blame
her? </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">For that matter, why don’t we ever stop to see that we may
have been in similar positions in our past although with a different outcome?
It doesn’t take a mental gymnast to do this. It’s just a series of simple
questions…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">1. Have you ever been in the presence of a member of the
opposite sex?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">2. Have you ever been alone with a member of the opposite
sex?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">3. Have you ever consumed alcohol in the presence of a
member of the opposite sex?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">4. If you answered yes to all the previous questions, were you raped in that situation?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Most people can probably answer yes to questions 1-3, while answering no to question 4. Yet, one common criticisms we hear is that a victim drank too much alcohol, leaving herself vulnerable in the wrong situation.
Well-meaning experts will suggest that women not drink in excess around people
they don’t know or trust. Still, this warning contradicts the vast majority of
experiences that women have. Rape is the anomaly, not the rule. Why do we still hold
rape victims to a standard that we, ourselves, do not live up to?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">One answer is self-preservation. In order to get out of bed
and face the world every day, we must have some sense of safety. We can build
our sense of safety by mentally checking off behaviors that we see resulting in
negative consequences. I will not touch hot burner on the stove because I once
burnt myself. I will not go around railroad signals to beat a train because I
saw the pictures of resulting collisions in driver’s ed. We tell ourselves we
won’t get hurt if we follow all of these rules. We tell ourselves that we are
in control of our fate. The same is true of rape. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">It’s tempting to think that if I can figure out what a rape
victim did “wrong,” then I can protect myself from that crime. I tell myself
that I will never make the same mistakes, so I will never be raped. That way, I
can go out and face the day without fearing for my personal safety when in the
presence of any man. The fact is, though, this mental checklist does not
protect you. Women can do everything “right” and still get raped. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Even women who have been raped fall victim to this mental
accounting. They examine their own situation for some thing they can latch on
to- something to which they can attribute the negative consequences. That way, if
they just avoid that behavior or situation in the future and they will never be
victimized in the same way. Victims blame themselves so they can feel a sense
of control over their future. Control has been taken away by the rapist and the
victim is willing to do almost anything to get that sense of control back- even
to blame herself for her victimization.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">As women and as human beings, it is difficult to accept that
we are not in control. Rape, however, is a crime in which we are not in
control. The only person in control of the situation is the rapist. He chooses
to whether to rape or not. With that power comes the ultimate responsibility
and ultimate blame. It is not the woman’s fault that she was victimized, but it’s understandable that she might blame herself so she can get back some sense
of control. With rape victims, it is a difficult process to navigate
self-blame, victim-blaming in society, and her ultimate powerlessness over her
body and safety during the crime. That is why agencies exist to meet the myriad
needs of rape victims.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">For the rest of us, we need to learn to accept or refuse responsibility as is appropriate.
I must take responsibility for not touching a hot burner. It is my hand and I
choose where I put it. I must take responsibility for not trying to beat a
train. It is my car and I choose not to cross the tracks when a train is
coming. I cannot, however, prevent myself from being raped and if I am raped,
it is not my fault.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">To blame a victim is a natural method of coping with the
threat of victimization. Thus, we must make a concerted, conscious effort to
question out assumptions about blame or guilt. It requires that we be brutally
honest with ourselves. As women, we must lead the way in refusing to accept
blame for what a criminal chooses to do to us. However, we cannot
simultaneously ask men to take responsibility for preventing rape while we blame
a woman for her actions before a rape so we can feel safer. We must decide to hold
rapists solely accountable for their actions, even if it means our world is more
uncertain or more dangerous than we would like.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Comments by Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy Services </span></div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291308361770168173.post-11326238469307135932013-02-20T13:38:00.001-08:002013-02-20T21:08:36.887-08:00An ounce of prevention?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oUxCrUuVtAyLOnOrGjQXe_kLP1rZ3E-jFppXf38PmhdgtvtRee8a0Y69Q_7bV-b60fzeQ3LNc8fb6JPX5cbTclAoAQo8ADdIw0MC0ewe5nGEZONJ_pIfF4BqwXFtAVBbeIgX7lRSskk/s1600/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oUxCrUuVtAyLOnOrGjQXe_kLP1rZ3E-jFppXf38PmhdgtvtRee8a0Y69Q_7bV-b60fzeQ3LNc8fb6JPX5cbTclAoAQo8ADdIw0MC0ewe5nGEZONJ_pIfF4BqwXFtAVBbeIgX7lRSskk/s200/Picture1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Recent politics is rife with conversations about rape and its
prevention. The eyes of the nation have most recently been drawn to the state
of Colorado for a pair of controversial statements. First, <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/feb/19/colorado-state-rep-joe-salazars-comments-rape-and-/#ixzz2LSMNSdAX">Joe Salazar</a> a
Democratic State Representative argued that women should not need concealed
weapons to protect themselves from rape because “that’s why we have call boxes,
that’s why we have safe zones, that’s why we have whistles.” His concern, not wholly without
merit, is that a woman who fears for her safety might shoot an innocent person
who had no intention of raping her. A second story out of <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/437318/20130220/university-colorado-rape-prevention-vomit-urinate-disease.htm">University of Colorado at Colorado Springs</a> concerns a school website that lists "Last Resort Tips" to avoid sexual assault.
These include telling the potential rapist that you are menstruating or have an
STD and/or urinating or vomiting on the attacker to dissuade him from raping you. The legislator from Colorado
apologized and the university took down the list of “Last Resort Tips.”
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More important than the apology or the removal of the webpage is
that these two stories show how fundamentally wrong our discussions about
sexual assault can be. By reframing rape as a gun control issue, the focus
falls on women to prevent rape by carrying a gun or a whistle, depending on
which side of the gun control debate someone happens to fall. By suggesting a woman scream
or bite or tell certain things to her attacker, the onus once again falls on
women to prevent their own rape. The logical conclusion of the prevention
argument that many people fail to acknowledge is that victims somehow bear some
responsibility if they fail to ward off their attacker. As if the woman is to blame for not preventing a man from raping her. That notion is unacceptable.</div>
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Victim blaming is nothing new. Over the decades of the
victim services movement, we have heard questions about how short of a skirt
the victim was wearing, how much she had to drink, or even how many sexual
partners she had before the rape. This new brand of victim blaming is more
insidious, however, because it is couched in terms of prevention. The bottom
line is that no matter how many steps a woman takes to prevent rape, if a man
is determined to rape her, it will likely happen. A woman can carry a gun <i>and</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> a rape whistle and still be raped. A woman can
scream and kick and fight and still be raped. A woman can use an
emergency call box and still be raped before help arrives. </span></div>
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Everyone can and should take steps to make themselves feel safer,
but the only sure way to prevent rape is for men to stop raping women. Rather
than teaching our girls how to vomit on command or how to shoot to kill, we
need to teach our boys not to rape. Women should not have to look at every man
as a potential rapist. Men should not settle for having to prove that they are
not a rapist before a woman will engage them. Both genders deserve better than
that. It is time for a real discussion about why rape happens. </div>
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We need to ask ourselves as a society why rapes occur. Although we don’t
have all of the solutions, we know that "a lack of prevention by women"
is an unacceptable answer that puts a misplaced burden on women and an unfair stigma on men. It is not a woman's responsibility to prevent rape; it is up to men to choose not to rape. That understanding must be the starting point for a meaningful discussion on how to address the issue as a society.</div>
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Comments by: Jessica Meyers, Director of Advocacy Services </div>
Crime Victim Advocacy Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556771771041396186noreply@blogger.com0