Cobb’s observance of National Crime Victims Rights Week will go online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Victims Rights Week will be observed April 19 – 25 this year.

An announcement from Kimberly Isaza, the Public Information Officer for Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes stated, “Events to mark the annual Crime Victims’ Rights Week will move online this year as a result of current health guidelines. But the essential work to support community members who have been impacted by crime will not stop.”

The DA’s office received a $5,000 grant from the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) to promote community awareness of crime victim’s rights and services during 2020 National Crime Victims Rights Week. The funds came from The Office for Victims of Crimes within the U.S. Department of Justice.

The public information release describes how the online engagement with the information will work:

Community members can look for online videos with information about Cobb-based resources for victims and self-defense tactics to avoid becoming a victim, and different ways that residents can get involved to help support victims. The first video is planned for release on April 19, to kick off the annual Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

“The support from NAVAA and OVC for our 2020 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities will help us help crime victims,” said Kimberly McCoy, Director of the Victim Witness Unit in theCobb DA’s Office. “Members of our community are encouraged to help promote justice through service to crime victims by joining our 2020 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities and supporting victim assistance programs on a daily basis.”

About National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week was first designated by President Ronald Reagan.

The theme for 2020 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Seek Justice, Ensure Victims’ Rights, and Inspire Hope.”  

The public information release from the Cobb DA’s office describes the purpose of the yearly event as follows:

Since 2004, the NCVRW Community Awareness Project has provided financial and technical assistance to more than 977 community projects that promote victim and public awareness activities, and innovative approaches to victim outreach and public education about victims’ rights and services during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Cobb’s was one of the 109 recommended by NAVAA and selected for funding by OVC for 2020 from the 262 applications that were submitted nationwide.  

For additional information about 2020 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities or about victims’ rights and services in Cobb County, you can contact the Victim Witness Unit in the DA’s Office at 770-528-3047 or visit their website at www.cobbda.com.

About The National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators

The National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators describes itself as follows:

The National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators is a non-profit organization that represents the 56 state agencies that distribute money from the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Crime Victims Fund to more than 4,000 direct victim assistance service providers. The money in the Crime Victims Fund comes from fines collected from offenders convicted of federal crimes and not from U.S. taxpayers.