The Role Of Victims In Hamilton County

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Within the limits of Hamilton County, roughly 3,700 violent crimes are reported to the county sheriff’s departments as well as local police agencies. The majority of violent crimes involve at least one victim if not more depending on the scenario of the crime. Thus, making Hamilton County possess 3,700 victims within the perimeter. Victims endure physical, emotional, and psychological harm and require assistance to reintegrate afterwards. Hence, victim advocates and victim services the sine qua non for the justice system. Chattanooga, Soddy Daisy, East Ridge, Red Bank, Signal Mountain, Collegedale, Lookout Mountain, Walden, Lakesite, and Ridgeside residents are all considered to be within the statistics for Hamilton County (Hamilton Co., 2016). 336,463 individuals were reported to reside within the county which means at least 1.1% of all residents are victims of a crime. Victims may require medical attention, counseling for mental issues that arise, legal assistance if law enforcements choose to prosecute, and …show more content…
An important factor within the prosecutor’s office is the victims advocate position which acts as a liaison between the victim and the court system. Duties include, but are not limited to informing victims of their rights founded from the Crime and Victims’ Rights Act, notify of case status and court hearings, and refer the victim for counseling, medical care, compensation programs, and translation and interpreter services if needed (Offices of US Attorneys, 2016). Implementation of a victim witness coordinator within Hamilton County’s prosecutor’s office would provide victims with the information needed to feel comfortable taking their case to trial and inform of the services and aid arranged to assist in their transition from the

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