Issue

New York City is committed to providing critical support for crime victims and their families to help meet their emotional, physical, financial, and legal needs. The City invests in a robust set of services to help those impacted by crime as they move from crisis to stability. This includes large-scale programs like the Crime Victim Assistance Program, the Family Justice Centers, Child Advocacy Centers, and citywide domestic violence and crime victim hotlines. Also included are targeted initiatives focused on meeting the needs of specific populations, such as abusive partner intervention programming and the Domestic Violence and Other Violence Emergencies (DOVE) initiative. The scope of services available to crime victims can create challenges for individuals trying to navigate this complex system as well for the providers, advocates, and city agencies trying to coordinate this support. These challenges can create barriers to access for victims and their families, and they can reinforce systemic inequities related to race, gender, sexuality, ability, socioeconomic, and immigration status.

Solutions

The Office of Crime Victim Supports (OCVS) is the first stand-alone municipal office of its kind in the country. Embedded in the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, OCVS takes a holistic approach to victim services, coordinating existing services to support New York City residents impacted by crime. OCVS works to address existing gaps in service by pursuing community-driven strategies and expanding access to support for all New Yorkers, particularly marginalized individuals. The office understands that in order to promote healing for survivors, their families, and their communities we need to work across the limiting understandings of victim and perpetrator. People who cause harm are often impacted by violence and trauma themselves, and providing support for these individuals is critical in preventing future violence, disrupting current cycles of abuse, and helping survivors heal.

OCVS employs several strategies in our work to reduce victimization and address its direct and collateral consequences, including a commitment to enhanced analytics and rigorous evaluation, community engagement, and expanding access to resources.

OCVS partners closely with organizations across the City, including the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, the New York Police Department, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health, and New York City’s Department of Social Services and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. OCVS also works with other teams within the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, including the Office of Neighborhood Safety and the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes. Additionally, OCVS collaborates with advocates, program providers, and community members to expand the set of options of services and support for those impacted by crime. The office will also collaborate with District Attorney’s Offices, the Office of Victim Services at the state level and the Office for Victims of Crime at the federal level. OCVS regularly publishes reports about our work, and we are also responsible for maintaining and expanding the mobile-optimized, map-based Crime Victims Services Finder.