State Police Seeking Volunteers To Assist & Counsel
Victims Of Domestic Violence
W. Trenton - The New
Jersey State Police Victim Services Unit is seeking volunteers to
assist specially trained troopers provide counseling and other support
services to victims of domestic violence and abuse at seven rural
State Police stations in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Hunterdon,
Salem, Sussex and Warren counties.
The victim outreach
effort is part of the State Police-sponsored domestic violence "Crisis
Response Team" program established earlier this year through
$66,500 in federal grant monies from the Division of Criminal Justice's
Office of Victim Witness Advocacy as part of available funding through
the federal Violence Against Women Act. The funding has allowed
State Police to establish, equip and staff the special "Crisis
Response Teams" throughout the rural patrol areas of the state.
The immediate goal of the
State Police Victim Service Unit is to attract at least 20 residents
from the selected counties and municipalities to volunteer and participate
in the "Crisis Response Team" Program.
The most important tool
for a crisis response team volunteer is the desire and ability to
help others. All volunteers will be required to attend a 40-hour
certified course which will focus on domestic violence and related
issues such as identifying the dynamics of domestic violence, basic
criminal law definitions and provisions, temporary restraining orders,
criminal justice system process and emergency services.
Volunteers must possess the following
qualifications:
- 21 years of age or older;
- Resident of the county in which the Crisis Response Team
is located;
- Possess a valid New Jersey drivers license and be able to
provide their own transportation;
- No prior criminal history and no prior history as a defendant
in a domestic violence-related matter;
- Available to be on-call several days per month;
- Ability to communicate with others and possess good listening
skills; and
- Sensitivity to victim's feelings and concerns.
Additionally, the State Police
is issuing a special request for bilingual individuals and persons
fluent in American sign language to volunteer for the program.
Training will be provided
at no cost and, upon completion of training, the crisis response
team volunteer would be available to coordinate services with local
service providers such as battered women's shelters, financial aid
services and medical and counseling providers as they work to assist
victims of domestic violence.
Troopers assigned to the State
Police Victim Services and Community Policing Units will spearhead
the program. The crisis response team, along with the volunteers,
will provide counseling and information about the varying county,
local and community-based support services directly to the domestic
violence victim immediately upon reporting the incident. Through
the cadre of trained volunteers staffing the crisis response teams,
a victim of domestic violence will be better informed about all
available options and, as a result, be better equipped to take advantage
of the local, county and state domestic violence-related programs
and services.
For further information or
to apply for one of the seven county Crisis Response Team programs,
contact any of the listed State Police stations, the respective
County Victim Witness Offices or by leaving a mailing address at
the voice mail of the New Jersey State Police Victim Services Unit
at (609) 882-2000 x2586.
The Crisis Intervention Teams
will be established in the following counties at the State Police
stations serving the targeted municipalities:
ATLANTIC COUNTY
BUENA VISTA STATE POLICE STATION @ (609) 625-1105
Buena Vista Township
Folsom Boro
Weymouth Township
CAPE MAY COUNTY
WOODBINE STATE POLICE STATION @ (609) 861-5698
Dennis Township
Upper Township
Woodbine Boro
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
BRIDGETON STATE POLICE STATION @ (856) 451-0101
Deerfield Township
Fairfield Township
Upper Deerfield Township
HUNTERDON COUNTY
KINGWOOD STATE POLICE STATION @ (908) 996-2864
East Amwell Township
Glen Gardner Boro
Kingwood Township
SALEM COUNTY
WOODSTOWN STATE POLICE STATION @ (856) 769-0775
Pilesgrove Township
Quinton Township
Pittsgrove Township
SUSSEX COUNTY
SUSSEX STATE POLICE STATION @ (973) 383-1514
Montague Township
Frankford Township
Wantage Township
WARREN COUNTY
WASHINGTON STATE POLICE STATION @ (908) 689-3101
Harmony Township
White Township
Franklin Township
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