LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With two weeks left in the North Las Vegas Hispanic Citizens Academy, students got an inside look at the department's Victim Services Unit.
The unit responds to an array of calls including domestic violence incidents, homicides and sexual assaults. According to the City of North Las Vegas, a victim advocate "educates and empowers" people to seek justice by participating in investigations and following through with prosecution.
"When we arrive to the scene, we make contact with the victim and we make sure that we can provide emotional support. We also make sure that we create a security plan," advocate Kimberly Morales said.
Morales said they educate people on the resources available to them, as well as empower victims to seek justice.
"We can connect them with certain resources like shelter, counseling, [and] therapy," Morales said.
Morales said victim advocates are often also inside the courtroom and support victims as they relive the most painful experiences in their lives.
"To explain when their next court date might be, what could happen, and if they need to testify, I can go with them and provide that support."
Nevada Crime Victims' Rights
The 1983 Nevada Legislature mandated certain rights and guarantees to crime victims and witnesses. Accordingly, Chapter 178 of the Nevada Revised Statutes recognizes the following needs and rights of crime victims.
You have the right:
- To know the status of the case in which you are involved
- To be free from intimidation or dissuasion
- To know when impounded property may be released.
- To receive a witness fee for lawful obedience to a subpoena.
- To understand the existing victim compensation laws and receive compensation if applicable.
- To a secure waiting area, which is not available to the defendant or his family when you are at court.
- To know when the defendant is released from custody before or during trial (upon written request).
- To know when the offender is released from prison (upon written request).
According to the National Coalition of Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men in the United States have experienced some form of physical violence by a partner.
Academy member Jenniffer Escalante tells Channel 13 many times domestic violence cases can go unreported within the Hispanic community.
"Many times, as Latinos, we think the doors are closing when we have a problem. We don't know where to go. Having this information is important," Escalante said.
The following resources are available to the community:
HELP of Southern Nevada
702-369-4357
https://www.helpsonv.org
Legal Aid of Southern Nevada
702-386-1070
https://www.lacsn.org
Signs of Hope
702-366-1640
http://rcclv.org/
SafeNest
Temporary Assistance for Domestic Crisis
702-646-4981
https://safenest.org
State of Nevada Victims of Crime (VOC) Program
702-486-2740
https://voc.nv.gov
Victim Information Notification Everyday (VINE) Custody status
866-277-7477
https://vinelink.vineapps.com/state/NV/ENGLISH
See more Resources below:
Airmen & Family Readiness Center (Military victims)
702-652-3327
A&FRC - Nellis Life
Boulder City Police Department
702-293-9224
https://www.bcnv.org/?q=police
Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children (CASA) (child victims)
702-455-4306
https://casalasvegas.org
Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada
702-385-2662
https://www.catholiccharities.com
Civil Self-Help Law Center
702-671-3970
https://www.civillawselfhelpcenter.org
Clark County Child Abuse Hotline
702-399-0081
https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/residents/family_services/child_abuse_hotline.php
Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice Services Victim Assistance Program
702-455-5285
https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/juvenile_justice_services/index.php
Clark County Senior Advocate Program
702-455-7051
https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/residents/assistance_programs/senior_services.php
Clark County Social Services
702-455-4270
https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/residents/assistance_programs/index.php
Clark County and Las Vegas transitional housing and homeless shelters
702-385-2777
Clark County transitional housing and homeless shelters (needhelppayingbills.com)
Family and Child Treatment of Southern Nevada (FACT)
702-258-5855
Counseling, Therapy - Family and Child Treatment of Southern Nevada (factsnv.org)
Family Law Self-Help Center
702-455-1500
Family Law Self-Help Center (familylawselfhelpcenter.org)
Families of Murder Victims
702-873-5696
Family Violence Intervention Program (Protective Orders)
702-455-3400
Henderson Police Department Victim Witness Advocate Program
702-264-4727
Victim/Witness Advocate | Henderson, NV (cityofhenderson.com)
Hope Link of Southern Nevada
702-566-0566
Home | HopeLink of Southern Nevada (link2hope.org)
Human Trafficking Resource Center
888-373-7888
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Victim Services
702-828-2955
https://www.lvmpd.com/en-us/pages/VictimServices.aspx
Las Vegas Rescue Mission
702-382-1766
Las Vegas Rescue Mission – Serving All, Caring for Each Since 1970
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
775-910-3494
MADD | Mothers Against Drunk Driving
National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-SAFE (7233)
Domestic Violence Support | The National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org)
Neighborhood Justice Center
702-455-3898
Neighborhood Justice Center (lasvegasjusticecourt.us)
Nevada Child Seekers
702-458-7009
Nevada Child Seekers – Protecting Children Is What We Do…
Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (NCEDSV)
775-828-1115
HUMAN TRAFFICKING – www.ncedsv.org
Nevada Crisis Call Center
800-273-8255 or 211
Crisis Support Services of Nevada | Formerly Crisis Call Center (cssnv.org)
Nevada Disability Advocacy and Law Center
702-257-8150
Home - Nevada Disability Advocacy and Law Center (NDALC)
Nevada Legal Services
702-386-0404
Nevada Legal Services | Free Legal Services for Low-Income Nevadans
Nevada Suicide and Crisis Hotline
800-784-2433
Lifeline (suicidepreventionlifeline.org)
North Las Vegas Police Department Non-Emergency
(702) 633-9111
City of North Las Vegas Police Department Victim Services
702-633-2412/702-633-1751
Victim Advocate (cityofnorthlasvegas.com)
Planned Parenthood
702-878-7776
Birth Control, STD Testing & Abortion - Las Vegas, NV (plannedparenthood.org)
Safe House
702-451-4203
http://safehousenv.org/
Salvation Army
702-870-4430
The Salvation Army Southern Nevada
Shade Tree Shelter
702-385-0072
The Shade Tree of Las Vegas - Sheltering women, children, & their pets
Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health
702-486-6000
Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services (SNAMHS) Locations (nv.gov)
Southern Nevada Center for Independent Living (Shelter Directory)
702-889-4216
Welcome to Southern Nevada Center for Independent Living - Southern Nevada Centers for Independent Living (SNCIL)
Southern Nevada Senior Law Program
702-229-6596
Southern Nevada Senior Law Program — Helping Seniors Understand Their Legal Rights in Southern Nevada (snslp.org)
State of Nevada Victims of Crime Program
702-486-2740
Victims of Crime (nv.gov)
State of Nevada Parole and Probation
702-486-3001
Welcome to Nevada Parole and Probation (nv.gov)
State of Nevada Department of Corrections
775-887-3285
NDOC Home (nv.gov)
STOP DUI
702-456-7867
Stop DUI
Transitional Housing
800-334-8893
Westcare Adult & Youth Services
702-385-2020
WestCare Foundation
Resources for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC):
The Embracing Project (18 and under)
702-463-6929
http://www.theembracingproject.org/
SEEDS of Hope (The Salvation Army) (youth and adults)
702-870-4430
https://www.salvationarmysouthernnevada.org/seeds-of-hope
Power ON! (Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth) (18 and under)
Power-ON Las Vegas - A Project of Nevada (poweronlv.com)
