MARQUETTE, MI-- The Marquette County Prosecutor’s Office has been awarded a $400,000 grant to create an interagency approach to domestic violence.
Chief Prosecutor Matt Wiese says the money comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. It will be used to develop and implement the Blueprint for Safety program, which aims to make sure gaps in the system are addressed and policies are put in place to create a more effective response to domestic violence.
“What we found is when we looked at the number of DV calls – domestic violence calls – and the number of domestic violence clients that are being served by the Women’s Center and the Harbor House, versus the number of cases being criminally prosecuted, we discovered that there was a vast disparity,” Wiese says. “Now, not all of those cases may necessarily be cases that are able to be prosecuted, but certainly we’re probably missing some of the cases.”
The grant will fund a Blueprint for Safety coordinator through the Prosecutor’s Office. It will also fund a Blueprint advocate, who will work on every domestic violence case and deal with police agencies, victims, and medical facilities.
Wiese says the key to the program is the strong partnership between the advocate and the criminal justice system.
“Our role is to make sure that we hold batterers accountable and make sure that victims are safe. The community-based advocacy program, their job is to be there to support the victim of domestic or sexual violence and help her get through the process.”
Wiese hopes to have the blueprint up and running by December 1.
