WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues recently introduced the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act, legislation which would establish a grant program at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to help state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies solve more crimes and improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm-related violent crimes.
“Far too many homicide cases go unsolved, leaving families of victims without answers or justice,” said Senator Tillis. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to provide the necessary resources to state and local law enforcement agencies to reduce the number of unsolved homicide cases and make our communities safer.”
Background:
The Fraternal Order of Police, Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), the Niskanen Center and Arnold Ventures support the bill.
“Homicide cases can be very difficult to clear—and violent firearms-related cases can be even more so. Closing these types of crimes requires diligence, manpower, and a sustained investigative effort. Given the limited resources of law enforcement agencies, it’s important to provide the significant, dedicated resources that clearing these crimes requires, especially given their oftentimes heinous nature. The resources the VICTIM Act would provide would improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to punish the perpetrators of these crimes, provide justice for the victims and their families, and grant peace of mind for communities and the dedicated law enforcement officers that serve them. When we can clear more crimes like these, our communities are safer places to live and work,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police.
The VICTIM Act would help local law enforcement:
- Train detectives and police personnel to investigate, solve and respond to homicides and non-fatal shootings.
- Hire additional detectives and investigative personnel.
- Invest in technology needed for solving crimes.
- Train police personnel to address the needs of victims and family members of homicides and firearm related violent crimes.
- Provide victims and family members with mental health resources and assistance with shelter, wage and relocation costs
The bill would require those who receive VICTIM Act grants to report their use of the money to the DOJ. DOJ would collect and provide that information to Congress.
The full text of the VICTIM Act is available HERE.
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