Long Island, NY - September 30, 2015 - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $887,198 in federal funding for Suffolk County’s Domestic Violence Enforcement (DoVE) project. The funding was allocated through the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women. Funding to the Domestic Violence Enforcement project will be used to enhance survivor safety and offender accountability in cases of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by implementing pro-arrest policies as a means of intervention.

Suffolk County will partner with the Suffolk County Police Department, the Suffolk County Department of Probation, the Suffolk County Sheriff and the Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence for implementation of the project.

“This federal funding will help provide invaluable services to countless Long Islanders who have been victims of domestic violence and abuse. We must send an unequivocal message that violence against women will not be tolerated. I am pleased that the Department of Justice has provided this funding to Suffolk County’s Domestic Violence Enforcement project and I will continue to fight to ensure that victims of domestic violence have the services they need,” said Senator Schumer.

“This critical federal funding will allow Suffolk County to facilitate a wide range of programs to better assist domestic violence survivors and hold more offenders accountable for their actions,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Domestic violence is a serious problem and we need to work towards creating a safe environment for individuals and families. The Domestic Violence Enforcement will help Suffolk County keep families in the community safe and better protected.”

“This grant will help protect some of our most vulnerable citizens when they need it most,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said. “I am very grateful to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for securing these critical resources to make sure we can provide important victims services in Suffolk County.”

“One out of four women in the United States will experience some type of domestic violence during her lifetime, and every year more than 1,500 of these women will be killed by their abusers. The key to addressing this issue is to realize that over half of domestic violence victims who are murdered or are the victim of an attempted murder by an abuser did not accurately perceive his or her risk,” said Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Port Jefferson). “I applaud Senator’s Schumer and Gillibrand for obtaining federal funding for Suffolk County’s Domestic Violence Enforcement (DoVE) project. With the help of this funding law enforcement will be able to increase its efforts of educating victims on their risks, keeping victim’s safe from repeat offenders and making sure those who break the law are held accountable.” 

The DoVE project will work to increase survivors’ access to orders of protection and services; develop a multidisciplinary high risk team to enhance survivor safety; and improve procedures for collecting and confiscating firearms in order of protection cases.