Unit in NJ AG's office will help victims of violent crime and sex assault deal with trauma

The state Attorney General's Office has created a new division that will focus exclusively on helping the victims of violent crime and intervening with those most likely to commit violence.

Announced Friday by acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin, the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance will unite New Jersey's existing victim services with violence intervention and prevention programs to make sure police are using trauma-informed approaches, create connections between authorities and community-based services and help victims of violent crime address trauma and avoid revictimization, according to a statement.

“Ensuring that we have a systematic, statewide approach for critical victim services is not only the right thing to do for people who have suffered pain and loss, but it is also a proven strategy for making our communities safer," Platkin said. "We are making clear that the state’s approach to public safety, one done with the support of the Murphy administration, puts community-based interventions and victim assistance alongside traditional, and essential, prosecution and policing.”

It's the first time the state has an office dedicated to policy, training, coordination and management of victims' services, which includes those who have survived domestic and sexual violence, the acting attorney general said.

Patricia Teffenhart, a senior vice president at the state Chamber of Commerce, will lead the new division, Platkin said.

Teffenhart, of Holmdel, worked for eight years as the executive director of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the statement said. During her tenure, she successfully advocated for the passage of the state's Sexual Assault Survivors Protection Act of 2015 and co-chaired the Campus Sexual Assault Task Force.

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Included in her new division will be the Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention, headed by Steven Campos of Lyndhurst, which will develop community-based violence intervention programs and build an infrastructure for community-based public safety throughout New Jersey, the statement said.

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Also included will be the Office of Victim Support and Assistance, which develops and expands victims’ services; the Victims of Crime Compensation Office, which provides victim aid; and the Office of Trial and Criminal Justice Process, which will set policy for and advise the state's victim witness advocacy office, among other things.

Elected officials and public advocates lauded the division's creation.

Gov. Phil Murphy said in the statement that the unit will "address the very serious needs of victims and survivors of violence," while social justice advocate the Rev. Dr. Charles F. Boyer said he supports its mission to prioritize the community in peacekeeping work.

Jeannine Frisby-LaRue, a 71-year-old sexual assault survivor and women’s advocate, said the division is a "critical step in addressing how domestic and sexual violence is dealt with in the law enforcement arena."

"While it should always be the goal to apprehend and prosecute domestic violence and sexual assault offenders, the victim is often left physically, emotionally, and spiritually broken," Frisby-LaRue said. "[The division's] focus on policy, training, and coordination of services affecting these victims is simply brilliant and a game-changer."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ AG unit will help violent crime victims deal with trauma