OVW FY 2009 Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program

The Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program (hereinafter referred to as the Arrest Program) recognizes that domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking are crimes that require the criminal justice system to hold offenders accountable for their actions through investigation, arrest, and prosecution of violent offenders, and through close judicial scrutiny and management of offender behavior. At each juncture in the criminal justice process, concerns for victim safety should guide the actions of all partners in the system. Criminal justice agencies must collaborate among themselves and in meaningful partnership with nonprofit, nongovernmental sexual assault and domestic violence programs, including local shelters, rape crisis centers, victim service organizations and domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, to ensure that victim safety is a paramount consideration in the development of any strategy to address these crimes. Additionally, representatives from criminal justice agencies working to prevent and reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking must have a clear understanding of the roles of governmental and nongovernmental victim assistance programs.This discretionary grant program is designed to encourage state, local, and tribal governments and state, local, and tribal courts to treat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking as serious violations of criminal law requiring the coordinated involvement of the entire criminal justice system. This program challenges the entire community to listen, communicate, identify problems, and share ideas that will result in new responses to ensure victim safety and offender accountability.