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Niagara County Sheriff’s Victim Assistance Unit

Description:

Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) & Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) serve all of Niagara County and has a 24/7 on-call availability for all Niagara County law enforcement agencies.

The DVIP, established in 1994, provides Niagara County domestic violence victims access to services and entry into the criminal justice system through early intervention to provide the safety and support. Every Domestic Incident Report filed with law enforcement agencies is acted upon shortly after an incident occurs. The Victim Services Coordinator and Crime Victim Advocates provide support and advocacy which includes:

• Safety planning
• Danger Assessment
• Referrals to appropriate services
• Court accompaniment
• Meetings with District Attorney’s
• Assistance in obtaining Orders of Protection

The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Victim Services works with the 911 Cell Phone Bank, a program endorsed by the National Sheriff’s Association, to collect used cell phones for victims to dial 911. Newer phones in good condition are given to local victims to aid in their safety planning, and the remainder of the phones collected are sent to a distribution center to be refurbished or recycled. If you have a cell phone you would like to donate, please contact the Victim Services at (716)438-3301.

Resources:

Local help is available. Agencies throughout Niagara County offer domestic violence (DV) hotlines, emergency shelter, counseling, support groups and assistance in the court system for victims and their families:

Domestic Violence Intervention Program: Lockport (716)438-3301, Niagara Falls (716)286-4570

Victim Assistance Unit (all crime types): Lockport (716)438-3306, Niagara Falls (DV) (716)286-4570

Pinnacle Community Services: (716)285-6984 Hotline (716)299-0909

YWCA of Niagara Frontier: (716)433-6716

Crisis Services: (716)285-3515

NYS Child Abuse Hotline: 1(800)635-1522

* Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Victim Services does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, immigration status or having a criminal record.

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