Discussion and possible action to accept a grant award for the Violent Crimes Against Women Criminal Justice and Training (VAWA) from the Criminal Justice Division (CJD) Office of Governor (OOG) in the amount of $7,000.00 grant funds for training and supplies for investigators and patrol officers working at the Webb County Sheriff’s Office serving victims of violent crimes against women and authorize Webb County Judge to sign all relevant documentation. This grant requires a $3,000 cash match; This $3,000 cash match will be met by the Webb County Sheriff's Office forfeiture funds. Thus, this grant will have no impact on the general fund. All required documents were reviewed by the Economic Development Department and the solicitation is compliant with the Webb County Single Point of Contact (SPOC) procedures. [Account #2152-3010-001 (Forfeiture Funds)] 

Issue: Violence against women is among the most intractable and deadliest criminal justice problems in the United States, especially domestic violence and in the South Texas area. According to published statistics, the number of American women between 2001-2012 who were murdered by current or ex-male partners in the United States was 11,766. That's almost double the amount of casualties lost during wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Women who will be victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes number 1 in 4. (“30 Shocking Domestic Violence Statistics That Remind Us It’s An Epidemic” Vagianos 10/23/2014).

Solution: Grant award to enhance the tools, techniques, and training to those investigators who follow-up to calls for assistance, conduct interviews with these victims, file incident reports, provide these victims with information/referrals to service providers, initiate arrests of perpetrators, refer cases for prosecution, and prepare testimony/evidence for trial in cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

Result: Enhanced law enforcement services, including investigative techniques, to deal with emergent criminal trends, such as cyberstalking, and improved efficacy of the law enforcement response to the needs of victims of violent crime.

The purpose of this grant award is to assist in developing and strengthening the Webb County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement strategies to combat family violence, sexual assault, sexual human trafficking, dating violence, and stalking crimes against women and to develop and strengthen the Webb County Sheriff’s Office victim services in such cases.

Webb County Commissioner's Court authorization to submit the Violent Crimes Against Women Criminal Justice and Training (VAWA) grant application in the amount of $7,000.00 with a $3,000.00 cash match and approved on January 8,2024-agenda item number 8C