Victim Assistance Program Director Wendy Crossland said victims already get some support and advice from the Summit County Attorney’s Office.
“We're helping victims navigate the court system, and our goal is to make sure that they understand the process,” Crossland explained. “They have a right to participate in the process as much or as little as they want to.”
But more and more they’re seeing victims who need immediate direct financial assistance. The county attorney has victims’ funds, but drawing on those resources involves paperwork, which takes time a victim might not have.
“It hasn't been easy to tap into,” Crossland said.
She also said people have reached out because they want to support victims of certain crimes, and there’s no good place to send those types of charitable donations.
One previous victim advocate in Crossland’s position got so frustrated with the red tape that she deposited donations in a personal account, which meant she could get victims assistance immediately.
But, prosecutors at the time said she also made personal purchases with the money, and they had to charge her in 2018 with misuse of public money, a second-degree felony.
Alternatively, the county attorney’s office is calling on community members to incorporate a nonprofit organization that can quickly get victims the financial assistance they need at critical times. Such a nonprofit could easily field donations too.
There are other nonprofits around that help crime victims. Peace House Park City can provide housing, and Friends Of The Children's Justice Center Of Summit County can support child victims.
But there’s a gap when it comes to plenty of other scenarios.
Crossland said some victims need gas cards to get around, or a hypothetical victim might have a protective order against someone who now won’t pay rent for the home they shared.
“And now they're suddenly on their own,” she explained. “[Or] there's car repairs that need to happen so someone can get to a job.”
Those types of situations are where the Summit County Attorney’s Office is seeing a need.
People interested in helping set up a nonprofit can cantact Wendy Crossland at wcrossland@summitcounty.org.
