April 24, 2024 - Reading, PA
In honor of Crime Victims' Rights Week, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) visited the Berks County Courthouse today to highlight the county's collaborative approach in supporting victims and the importance of Governor Shapiro's proposed $5 million investment in the Victims Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP) in the 2024-25 state budget."We stand with survivors of crime and want to remind all Pennsylvanians that there are programs and advocates who are available to provide support," said Kathy Buckley, Director of the Office of Victims' Services for PCCD. "PCCD's Victims Compensation Assistance Program in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary network of services here in Berks County and across the state are proof that when our systems work together, we can better the lives of Pennsylvanians who have been affected by violence and crime." Safe Berks is the local victim service program for residents of Berks County and provides ongoing support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through advocacy, counseling, housing and shelter, legal, and crisis hotline services. Since the start of 2024 alone through Safe Berks: - 131 victims/survivors received help though their 24/7/365 hotline; - 134 victims/survivors received more than 5,240 nights of emergency shelter in Safe Berks' safe house; - 160 victims/survivors received assistance seeking protection orders; - 172 victims/survivors received personal advocacy and/or accompaniment; and - Over 500 individual counseling sessions were provided to victims/survivors and/or their families. Speakers In Order:John Adams - Berks County District AttorneyKathy Buckley - PCCD Office of Victims' Services DirectorLuis Serrano - Individual with lived experienceChief Elias Vazquez - Reading Police Dept.Beth Garrigan - CEO of Safe BerksAmy Sundstrom - Dir. of Children's Alliance Center and Victim/Witness Unit Supervisor, Berks County District Attorney's Office
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