Violence Prevention Education & Domestic Violence Programs
The Violence Prevention Education & Domestic Violence Programs Division takes on a pro-active approach in the area of enforcement and prevention through the following activities:
- Family Court Warrant Enforcement
- Family Offense
- Juvenile Bureau
- Rural Rim/Domestic Violence Intervention Program
- Domestic Violence
- Crime Prevention
- Dare
- Public Awareness Is Prevention
- School Safety
- Community Awareness
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Family Court Warrant Enforcement
The Family Court Warrant Enforcement Unit was formed in 1979 through contractual agreement between the Department of Social Services and the Sheriff of Erie County.
Interacting with the Department of Social Services and the County Attorney's Office, the Task Force focuses on investigating and clearing Family Court warrants and summonses.
This is done by the officers locating and serving processes upon persons in violation of court approved orders of support. Those arrested can be incarcerated and/or fined.
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"Operation Deadbeat Parent Program"
The "Operation Deadbeat Parent" Program, a successful ongoing project, has attracted local, statewide and national attention.
The extreme success of this program has led other agencies to institute the program in their areas.
The focus of the program is to arrest individuals wanted for violations of the Family Court Act of New York Sate by:
- Ignoring summons issued for alleged non-support of spouses or dependents, or
- failing/refusing to make court ordered support payments.
The failure or refusal to make support payments forces dependents, most of whom are women and children, to turn to taxpayer-financed Social Service Public Assistance programs.
Forcing the individuals to live up to the support payment schedule reduces the taxpayers' burden by removing dependents from the roles, who have been receiving public assistance for years.
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Family Offense Unit
Officers in the Family Offense Unit are specially trained investigators who possess the unique abilities required to properly investigate the most sensitive complaints any police agency will ever receive.
The detectives maintain a close working relationship with state, county and local support and advocate groups and are available to all municipalities in Erie County.
Since the Unit's inception, in 1985, increased demand for services has indicated the effectiveness, acceptance, and necessity of such a Unit.
Orders Of Protection - This unit also serves orders of protection issued against respondents living in Erie County.
This Unit investigates reports of:
- Child physical abuse
- Child sexual abuse
- Other offenses against children
- Other offenses against children
- Domestic violence
- Elder abuse
- Sexual offenses involving adults
- Service all Family Court Orders of Protection for the City of Buffalo, towns & villages patrolled by the Erie County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators approach their duties with a balance of compassion and professionalism. This unit provides the community and the victims with a multitude of services such as investigation, referral and treatment, or mental health services required.
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Juvenile Unit
The Juvenile Officer assists in crimes against Juveniles and acts as a liaison with local school districts to provide them with lectures and assistance in matters involving their students. This would include:
- Investigation of crime or threats committed by students within the schools
- Investigation of crime involving juveniles
- Reports of missing or runaway juveniles and PINS.
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SE-NI-HEH (Stop That)
The SE-NI-HEH Program provides services to victims of Domestic Violence in the rural & Native American Community. A Detective and social workers provide follow-up and further assistance to victims of domestic violence and elder abuse.
This program consists of a Domestic Violence Coordinator, native American Sheriff's Detective and a native American Domestic Violence Specialist and two social workers. This program will attempt to resolve the issues of domestic violence and begin to implement new thinking and re-institute traditional thinking of native American youth. It will also identify the problems of native Americans as they live and enter a new century, ensuring their survival into the new millennium. Without sacrificing the beliefs that Seneca people have carried and followed since time began, SE-NI-HEH is designed and formulated to guarantee that all these things will happen. It will also ensure the message that violence in the family setting is one of the biggest threats to native people.
SE-NI-HEH acknowledges the sovereignty of the Seneca Nation and compliments the special status of native American women on the Cattaraugus & Allegany Indian Reservations. The staff provides instruction and training in anger management, violence prevention to school districts and community organizations serving the Native American community. The unit also assists the Family Offense Unit in investigating child sexual and physical abuse, domestic violence and all types of sexual assault occurring on or near the Seneca Nation Indian reservation.
The Intervention program also maintains a family Court Satellite Office at the Evans Town hall, which assists victims of domestic violence and elder abuse residing in the south towns, to obtain temporary orders of protection and provide other follow-up services to victims who are unable or unwilling to travel to family court in downtown City of Buffalo. The unit also maintains a mobile satellite office which enables staff to provide these services at various locations throughout southern Erie County and locations in the City of Buffalo that service Native Americans. Staff does liaison with authorities in Cattaraugus County in issues affecting native Americans in both Cattaraugus & Allegany Reservations..
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Rural-Rim Domestic Violence Unit
The unit responds to "in-progress" Domestic Violence calls and provides on scene intervention, advocacy and support.
The unit will:
- Assist victims of Domestic Violence with enrolling into other community service programs or counseling when applicable.
- Monitor and assist with the Court process regarding Domestic Violence arrests and expedite the paperwork so items like Orders of Protection and Removal Orders can be issued expeditiously.
- Provide Court Advocacy for victims of Domestic Violence.
- Serve Orders of Protection, give the victims of Domestic Violence safety up coming for the immediate future.
- Review every Domestic Violence report taken by the Erie County Sheriff's Patrol Division. Contact victims of these reports to ascertain their physical and emotional status and to answer any questions they might have. The Domestic Violence Unit also provides insight into Family Court operations and other available programs especially to victims on non-arrest Domestic Violence calls.
- The unit provides assistance to other police agencies when called upon in Domestic Violence cases. The unit intervenes immediately and provides all of the aforementioned services.
- Work closely with other agencies like Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services. This unit involves these agencies through referring when applicable to Domestic Violence calls. This area is often overlooked by on-scene patrol but "red-flagged" by the Domestic Violence Unit and acted upon.
- The Domestic Violence unit is available to assist victims of Domestic Violence with their needs and lend emotional support when called upon.
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Crime Prevention/Community Relations Unit
The Crime Prevention/Community relations Unit is comprised of "Traditional Crime Prevention Programs", "Drug Abuse Resistance Education (Dare)", & "Public Awareness is Prevention ". The new unit reflects the policies set forth in the Erie County Sheriff's S.H.I.E.L.D. 2002 Initiative.
This unit takes a pro-active approach to crime prevention and reflects the philosophy inherent in the definition of Crime Prevention "The anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a crime risk and the initiation of actions to remove or reduce it." and (CPTED) Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design definition "The proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the fear of crime and the incidence of crime, and to an improvement in the quality of life."
Imbedded in this approach is the understanding that action must be taken by the police and the community, working together, before the crimes are committed commonly known as Community Policing.
To facilitate open communication with the media, unit personnel disseminate Dare, Domestic Violence, Crime Prevention information, anti-drug messages through releases to the media via the Sheriff's Web-site, weekly newspapers, radio & television media.
Unit personnel continue their training to remain current in each officer or civilian personnel specialized area.
Classes Are Routinely Held To Inform The Citizens Of Erie County:
- Crime dangers, illegal drugs, violence, computer crimes
- Current crime prevention measures and safety information
Unit Personnel Present A Variety Of Community Programs:
- Internet Crimes & Your Children
- Domestic Violence
- D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Recognition Education) 17-week core, middle school component. Officers present programs to 28 different schools in Erie County.
- Street Smarts Programs for men & women
- Personal Safety Programs for Business Employees
- Neighborhood Watch Programs
- Business Security
- Apprehending A Shoplifter
- Robbery Prevention
- Stranger Danger
- Careers In Law Enforcement
- Mc Gruff The Crime Dog
- Bike & Bus Safety etc.
- Security Survey
- Helmet Safety
- Secure America Program
Safety programs for the public are designed to build a positive relationship between Erie County Sheriff's Officers and the community. For further information, contact (716) 858-8863.
A new Computer Crime Unit was formed within the Erie County Sheriff's Office to meet the rapid increases in technological crimes . The Crime Prevention Officer was assigned part-time to the new unit to assist with awareness of the Computer Crime Unit and to compose prevention pamphlets about crimes associated with computers, the Internet, and the public.
Another method to inform the public about crime & prevention issues, is the Erie County Sheriff's Office Official Web-Site. The official site can be accessed 24 hours a day and is maintained 7 days a week. (www.erie.gov/sheriff). A lecture was formulated using a Micro Soft Power Point Presentation advising adults/children of the possible dangers of children using the Internet without adult supervision.
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Public Awareness Is Prevention Program
The "Public Awareness Is Prevention Program" was developed by the Erie County Sheriff's Office to promote the idea of prevention and education as the most effective way to reduce substance abuse in Erie County. This program is funded by the New York State Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse.
Mission: To prevent or delay the onset of alcohol and other drug use, and to eliminate or reduce the high risk use of drugs and alcohol through the application and principles of risk reduction and building resiliency. During the year 2001, the Erie County Sheriff's Office collaborated with Erie 1 BOCES to develop a youth program for high risk Middle School students, funded by a (LEEP) Law Enforcement Educational Partnership Grant. We continue to work with schools using school safety teams, working to complete their action plans to reduce substance abuse and violence. This program has collaborated with prevention agencies to work on the Buffalo West Side Demo Project and the New York State SICA Grant. In the year 2001, the Erie County Sheriff's Office instituted the "Life Skills Training " program for middle school students.
Goals of Programs
- Community mobilization to increase protective factors
- Services to youth in grades K-12 using Life Skills Training, Risk & Protection Programs
- Teacher training & curriculum implementation for schools
- Parent involvement & substance abuse awareness (EPIC)
- Assist drug abuses & families in seeking help or referrals to appropriate agencies
- Campaigns that deliver prevention & education messages to youth, parents, corporations, & community leaders Assist in healthy policy changes & legislation to reduce substance abuse
- Distribute alcohol & substance abuse literature
"Public Awareness is Prevention" programs/services are offered to schools, community groups, parents, corporations, civic & family groups at no cost in Erie County.
Services offered by staff (grants):
- Life Skills Training Program - grades 6 - 9
- School based - Focus on dangers of drugs/laws
- Parental awareness programs (EPIC model)
- Community awareness/community mobilization (after school/evenings)
- Sheriff Gallivan's Youth Summit (asset building)
- Student Ambassadors/Mentors (youth teaching youth)
- Special programs (developed to organizational needs)
- Drugs and the Workplace (educate employees drug/alcohol issues)
- K-9 Drug Awareness * drug displays/demonstrations
- Drug displays * Drug training - Employees - New Hires - Volunteers
- Life Skills Training Program - A collaboration with Erie 1 Boces Middle School
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