PHOENIX - Each year, the National Crime Victims' Rights Week sets one week aside to honor and reflect upon the important work that individuals, law enforcement, non-profits, and many other organizations across the country do to advocate for crime victims. This year, National Crime Victims' Rights Week was April 2nd - April 8th. This year's theme, Strength. Resilience. Justice., perfectly blends the attributes crime victims often must demonstrate in conjunction with the dedication that victim advocates have to ensuring that the best services and support are offered throughout a crime victims' long process of healing.
"As Arizona’s Attorney General, I am committed to a system of justice that ensures that those who do harm to others are held responsible. I am equally dedicated to a system of justice that remembers, respects, and protects victims of all crime" said Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
National Crime Victims' Rights Week provides us an opportunity to place a little extra emphasis on victims' rights for just a few days. While there are many in our community who devote not just one week--but all year, and sometimes their lives-- to serving victims; Attorney General Mark Brnovich was proud to present several Distinguished Service Awards earlier this week to a few of these advocates who strive to make our community a better place every single day.
The following were honored this week with an award:
Advocacy & Direct Service Award:
Chandler Police Department's Victim Services Unit
Advocacy & Direct Service Award:
Noemi Elizalde; Patient Advocate at Mariposa Community Health Center
Service Coordination Award:
Arizona Department of Corrections Office of Victim Services
Innovative Practices Award:
El Mirage Police Department Victim Assistance Unit
Leadership Award:
Randall Udelman; Principle/Founder of Arizona Crime Victim Rights Law Group
Last fiscal year, Arizona Attorney General victim advocates provided services to nearly 10,000 crime victims. In fact, our Agency Leadership and Support Team is nominated for the Department of Justice's National Crime Victims' Rights Award.
In 1990, Arizona voters approved the Victims’ Rights Amendments to the Arizona Constitution. This was a landmark achievement that affords all victims of crime with the opportunity to have a participatory role in the criminal justice system and also extends certain protections of law to victims during their involvement with those processes.