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Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe, joined by County Executive Ed Day, state Sen. William Larkin, Elizabeth Santiago, executive director of the Center for Safety & Change and Haverstraw Supervisor Howard T. Phillips Jr. recently came together to highlight what they call the "extraordinary success of a unique domestic violence victim assistance" program that was piloted in Haverstraw and Stony Point.
The program is designed to ensure victims ongoing support and a meaningful role in the criminal justice system, according them dignity and respect.
"Once a victim escapes a violent situation, his or her ordeal is not over," said Zugibe. "In the months that follow, there are physical, mental, financial and legal concerns that must be addressed. Thanks to Sen. Larkin, our domestic violence victim assistance program in North Rockland plays a critical role in providing support that allows a victim to face these issues and rebuild his or her life."
The $75,000 in state funding allowed the District Attorney's Office Special Victims Unit to hire veteran Haverstraw town police Detective Eleuterio Collazo.
Collazo is charged with two main responsibilities -- victim outreach and evidence-based prosecution. Since the start of the program, Collazo has managed 221 cases and performed 104 home visits. Of those visits, 27 were made to Spanish-speaking homes, and 62 of the individuals visited by Collazo had orders of protection in their favor.
The pilot program also includes the participation of Dr. Richard King, a medical doctor and sworn detective at the District Attorney's Office. His presence at many of the home visits provides Detective Collazo and prosecutors deep insight into a victim's physical and emotional state.
In 2015, the instructional component involved 19 training classes led by Collazo at the Rockland County Police Academy in Pomona.
The results of the program have prompted Zugibe to seek additional state funding to enhance and expand services for victims of domestic violence.
For more information on the program, click here.
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