Oregon Department of Justice

The grant will help pay for law enforcement and crime victim services

Attorney General John Kroger announced today that the federal government has awarded a $1.9 million Recovery Act grant to the Oregon Department of Justice to combat violence against women.

"This grant will help protect women from violence and prevent lay-offs," said Attorney General Kroger.

The grant was awarded by the federal Office of Violence Against Women. The purpose of the grant is to promote economic recovery by helping bolster efforts to reduce crimes against women. The grant encourages states to fund criminal justice and non-profit programs to hire or retain victim services workers to combat domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.

The Oregon Department of Justice will distribute the grant money through a competitive process to local non-profit victim services organizations, prosecutors, law enforcement and the courts. More information about the grant process is available at the Oregon Department of Justice website.

Kroger and a coalition of Oregon prosecutors, sheriffs, police chiefs and victims' advocates are attempting to win as many federal stimulus grants for Oregon law enforcement as possible.

If successful, this effort will help maintain sheriffs, police chiefs and district attorneys to keep officers on the street and prosecutors in Oregon courtrooms.

The grant application was prepared by Diana Fleming, VAWA Grant Coordinator in DOJ's Crime Victims Services Division. Assistant Attorney General Harry Wilson is coordinating law enforcement grants for the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners.

Attorney General John Kroger leads the Oregon Department of Justice. The Department's mission is to fight crime and fraud, protect the environment, improve child welfare, and defend the rights of all Oregonians.