Evergreen Reporter

The City of Yakima has been awarded a Department of Justice grant amounting to $353,998 to address domestic violence and sexual assault. The announcement was made by Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. The grant was allocated on September 13, 2024.

This funding comes from the Office on Violence Against Women under the Fiscal Year 2024 Enhancing Investigation and Prosecution of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Initiative. The initiative aims to help law enforcement agencies and prosecutors improve their ability to investigate and prosecute cases related to domestic violence while supporting victim safety and ensuring offenders are held accountable.

The project in Yakima will utilize these funds in collaboration with YWCA Yakima. Plans include providing a victim advocate, identifying high-risk cases for referral to the Domestic Violence High Risk Team, offering more resources for victims, and training officers and prosecutors to address biases regarding victims.

U.S. Attorney Waldref stated: “Supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and holding individuals accountable who perpetrate this violence is critical to building safer and strong communities. This award demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to working with law enforcement and community partners to fund critical services to assist sexual assault survivors, protect victims of crime, amplify their voices, and seek justice on behalf of all citizens in Eastern Washington.”

City Prosecutor Cynthia Martinez expressed enthusiasm about enhancing prosecution efforts through this grant: “The City of Yakima Prosecution Division is excited for the opportunity to enhance domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking prosecution efforts... supported by the grant resources provided by the Office on Violence Against Women.” She emphasized their commitment alongside community partners like YWCA Yakima in holding offenders accountable while supporting victims.

Further details about grants from the U.S. Department of Justice can be found at https://www.ojp.gov. Information about the Office on Violence Against Women is available at https://www.justice.gov/ovw.