Victims’ Rights Enforcement Officer

Arizona Attorney General’s Office established a State-level Victims’ Rights Enforcement Officer position to respond to victims’ concerns and to address non-compliance. The Enforcement Officer has a number of tasks that comprise a delicate balance of reactive and proactive approaches to improving compliance, state-wide, with victims’ rights laws

The Victims’ Rights Enforcement Officer is not a victim advocate, but an advocate for compliance with victims’ rights, which at times can have the same effect as advocating for victims. However, the Victims’ Rights Enforcement Officer receives and examines complaints in an unbiased manner, aiding in their resolution by:

  1. Understanding both the spirit and the letter of the law
  2. Using knowledge of agency implementation practices
  3. Showing concern for both victim satisfaction and agency practicalities

Significant duties include:

  1. Raising awareness and providing resources regarding victims' rights laws
  2. Acting as an ombudsman for crime victims, addressing victims' complaints of criminal or juvenile entities
  3. Conducting inquiries into alleged violations of victims’ rights laws
  4. Completing site visits and evaluating complex operations and activities of government providers of mandated victim services

What can the Enforcement Officer do for victims’ of crime?

  1. Facilitate resolution of problems with criminal and juvenile justice entities
  2. Promote participation in the justice process in furtherance of healing
  3. Help ensure justice is served through upholding victims’ rights
  4. Identify gaps in victims’ rights services, unintended (negative) consequences or non-uniform application of victims’ rights laws.

What can the Enforcement Officer do for criminal and juvenile justice entities?

  1. Promote accountability
  2. Provide support and technical assistance to assist agencies in performing mandated victims’ rights duties
  3. Recommend changes to ameliorate problems
  4. Exonerate agencies from unjustified criticism when alleged violations are unfounded
  5. Provide agencies with sample policies and procedures and form letter models
  6. Provide feedback about areas in which agencies could improve, as well as areas in which agencies excel

In order to be considered a victim of crime according to Victims’ Rights statutes, the crime that was committed against you must fall in the one of the following categories:

  1. A felony
  2. Misdemeanor involving physical injury
  3. Misdemeanor involving the threat of physical injury
  4. Misdemeanor sexual offense

Online Complaint Form Blue Arrow

If you believe that the Victims’ Rights Enforcement Officer can be of assistance to you, please contact the Office of Victim Services. Inquiries may be made via telephone or in writing. We can be contacted at:

Office of Victim Services
Victims’ Rights Enforcement Officer
1275 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Email Address: VictimRights@azag.gov

Telephone Number 602-542-4911
Facsimile Number 602-542-8453