Discussion and possible action to authorize the acceptance of a grant award for the Fiscal Year 2026 Violence Against Women Justice and Training (VAWA) Grant #3521808 from the Office of the Governor, in the amount of $10,000.00, for training and supplies for investigators and patrol officers working at the Webb County Sheriff’s Office serving victims of violent crimes against women; to authorize the County Judge to execute all relevant documents. This grant requires a thirty percent (30%) cash match, or $3,000.00, which will be met by the Webb County Sheriff’s Office through state forfeiture funds. Therefore, this grant will have no impact on the General Fund. All required documents were submitted to the Economic Development Department and found to be in compliance with the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) policy. [Requested by Martin Cuellar, Sheriff; Grant Fund #2605; Cash Match Account #2151-9080-001-485005]

Issue: Violence against women is a critical issue globally, encompassing physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse. It includes domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and exploitation. Rooted in gender inequality and harmful cultural norms, it often goes unreported due to fear or lack of support. Effective solutions require stronger laws, education on gender equality, and better resources for victims to help prevent and address these crimes.

Solution: Accept this grant award that aims to improve the tools, techniques, and training for investigators handling cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. This includes those who respond to calls for assistance, conducting victim interviews, completing incident reports, offering victim referrals to service providers, initiating arrests of perpetrators, preparing cases for prosecution, and preparing testimony and evidence for trial.

Result: Enhanced capabilities for local law enforcement responders, including advanced investigative techniques to address emerging criminal trends like cyberstalking and enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement responses to the needs of victims of violent crime.

The purpose of this grant is to support the development and enhancement of the Webb County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement strategies to address family violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, dating violence, and stalking crimes against women, as well as to improve victim services in these cases.

This grant application was authorized to be submitted on 2.10.25 by commissioners court.