witness/victim intimidation

NCVC hosted an online webinar focused on Providing Trauma-Informed Death Notifications. In this training, Staci Beers, Victim Services Coordinator, FBI, presented best practices to perform a trauma-informed and compassionate approach to death notification and possible crisis reactions by survivors. This four-hour training included; best strategies to give compassionate and trauma-informed death notifications, interactive scenarios, and information on different referrals and services in Cleveland, Ohio.

This training initially was developed for the Ohio-N PSN site who was experiencing issues with victim and witness intimidation. This training provided law enforcement with an overview of victim-witness intimidation and provide a victim-centered approach to interviewing and responding to witnesses. Through conversation with other sites, hearing their issues with victim/witness intimidation, NCVC decided to conduct a national training on Trauma-Informed Law Enforcement Strategies for Combating Victim, Witness, and Community Intimidation and Retaliation.

On August 27, 2020, Project Safe Neighborhoods hosted the webinar “Trauma-Informed Law Enforcement Strategies for Combating Victim, Witness, and Community Intimidation and Retaliation.” The recording is available on their website. The webinar covers the following topics:

The Ohio-N PSN site is experiencing issues with victim and witness intimidation and wants to host an initial meeting in late-February. We have confirmed February 21st at the training date with a training length of 90 minutes. The initial training will provide law enforcement with an overview of victim-witness intimidation and provide a victim-centered approach to interviewing and responding to witnesses. Further, the site requested an additional training later in the year in which these topics will be discussed in significant detail over a one to two day training.

AEquitas and project staff worked with the sites to determine the prevalence of witness intimidation in their jurisdiction and the challenges that hinder victim/witness cooperation. Involved initial site visits to three sites on the following dates:

Baton Rouge: 1/31/2018 to 2/1/2018
Boston: 2/28/2018 to 3/1/2018
Baltimore: 2/12/2018 to 2/13/2018; 3/29/2018

Visit with sites to convene stakeholders to form or address action team and to guide assessment and lead implementation of an action plan.

The ability to gain victim/witness cooperation for a successful prosecution, despite intimidation, is a significant challenge faced by prosecutors across the country. Webinar speaker John Delaney, former First Assistant District Attorney of Philadelphia, is no stranger to this reality. Mr. Delaney has 35+ years of experience as a prosecutor, and will share effective tools and techniques to help overcome victim/witness intimidation challenges. These innovative approaches, coupled with real-life examples, are applicable to prosecutors in any jurisdiction.