SOUTH BEND -- The Pacific County Prosecutor's Office has been approved to receive the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant for 2015. The STOP grant is intended to improve community response to violence against women and is awarded annually by the Department of Commerce through the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy.
"This grant will restore funding cut by the Board of County Commissioners from the 2015 budget and while it is only $15,000, it seemed an obvious fit for our Office," said Pacific County Prosecutor Mark McClain, who added that he, "did not understand why, aside from the fractured relationship between law enforcement, prosecution, and the local domestic violence and sexual assault provider, the grant was not previously requested by the Prosecutor's Office."
Crisis Support Network's Director, Kathryn Burr supported the grant application and McClain noted that, She has shown true leadership in reconnecting law enforcement and prosecution with victim services.
"Over the past two months, Crisis Support Network has spearheaded the movement to reconnect law enforcement, DSHS, Prosecution and victim services and the effort is paying off," McClain added.