A letter has been sent to acting Assistant Attorney General Brent Cohen by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), urging that victims and families affected by police violence gain access to the Department of Justice’s Crime Victims Fund.
Created in 1984 and managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, the fund provides a variety of programs and services to assist victims immediately following a crime. Currently, the fund contains over $2 billion, and millions are allocated annually for victim compensation and initiatives aimed at improving support for crime victims.
Pressley and Markey shine a light on barriers preventing police violence victims from receiving aid
Despite the availability of these resources, the lawmakers’ letter indicates that families affected by police violence encounter difficulties in accessing the fund’s benefits.
“Numerous victims and families have alerted us to the challenges they face in securing assistance after enduring abuse at the hands of law enforcement,” the letter states, as first reported by The Hill. “This issue impacts individuals at the local, state, and federal levels and requires your immediate attention.”
The lawmakers pointed out the obstacles these families encounter, such as certain jurisdictions mandating that victims of police misconduct must cooperate with and seek aid from the very department that caused their harm.
Additionally, the letter noted that some victims lack knowledge regarding when and how to access resources like counseling and support services. The two lawmakers emphasized that resolving these barriers is essential, as police brutality “remains a persistent problem” throughout the nation.
