National Crime Victims’ Rights Week 2017

Strength. Resilience. Justice.

April 2 – 8, 2017

Duane A. Evans

Acting U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Louisiana

Every year, crime impacts millions of Americans. In 2015, 6.8 million people in the United States were victims of violent crime and nearly 15 million people were victims of property crime.[1] According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report for 2015, in the 13 parishes that make up the Eastern District of Louisiana, violent crime affected more than 7,500 victims and more than 40,000 people were the victims of property crime.[2]

April 2-8 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. During this week, the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and our local federal law enforcement partners pause to raise awareness for victims’ rights. We also take this opportunity to recommit to ensuring that all victims are afforded their rights under the law and have access to resources and support they need to heal. During the fifty-two years since the first crime victim compensation program was established in California in 1965, jurisdictions across the country have seen expanded inclusion of victims in the criminal justice system, the establishment of recognized rights for victims, and increases in available services. While we celebrate these accomplishments, we are mindful that our work for victims is far from complete. We must recommit to seeking out those victims for whom justice and healing have not been achieved and to working to insure their rights are afforded and their needs are met.

This year’s theme for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week – Strength. Resilience. Justice. – reflects a vision of the future in which all victims are strengthened by the response they receive, victim support organizations are resilient in responding to challenges they encounter and communities are able to seek collective justice and healing.

During this week, various law enforcement agencies in our community are holding special events and programs to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights and to acquaint the community with resources and services that are available to victims. Please visit the Office for Victims’ of Crime website at www.ovc.gov for more information on state and local victim services.

We offer this message on behalf of the following federal law enforcement partners:

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Orleans Division; Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Division; Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Division; U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, SAC New Orleans; Internal Revenue Service, New Orleans Field Office; U.S. Marshal’s Service, Eastern District of Louisiana; U.S. Postal Inspection Service, New Orleans Field Office and the U.S. Secret Service, New Orleans Field Office.

A resource map of Crime Victim Services & Information can be found on the Office for Victims' of Crime website.