Clark County has marked National Crime Victims' Rights Week with a Community Resource Fair, a gathering aimed at connecting victims with essential support and information. Organized by the Victim Witness Assistance Center (VWAC) of the Clark County District Attorney's Office, the event was held at the Pearson Community Center, featuring 25 participating agencies including the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Nevada Attorney General's Office, and Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, according to the Clark County's news release.
Last year, the VWAC played a crucial role in aiding more than 18,000 crime victims in Clark County, rendering a suite of services like crisis intervention, court accompaniment, and advocacy, in all the agency provided over 30,000 direct service contacts to those affected by crime, the community's dedication to aiding the victims is evident in the perseverance of such efforts for over four decades. "Our Victim Witness Assistance Center has been providing compassionate support to victims for over 45 years, and events like this help ensure that everyone knows about the resources available to them," Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson described the importance of the fair in a statement obtained by Clark County's news platform, with a notable 12,000 hours of court accompaniment clocked by advocates just last year.
The comprehensive support provided by VWAC extends beyond the fair, including ongoing court accompaniment, case status updates, crisis intervention, and assistance with victim impact statements, with a team of around 25 full-time professionals specializing in advocacy for vulnerable groups like children, elders, and disabled persons. Created in 1976, the organization has a longstanding history of service, a recognition that will be formalized today, as the Board of County Commissioners is set to present a proclamation acknowledging VWAC's dedication and proclaiming April 6-12, 2025, as Crime Victims' Rights Week in Clark County.
Commissioner William McCurdy II highlighted the fair's alignment with this year's theme of 'Kinship' by uniting the community in the support of victims, the relevance of such services is underscored by the statistic that one in every 50 Nevada residents was affected by violent crime last year, "With violent crime affecting one in every 50 Nevada residents last year, these support services are more crucial than ever," McCurdy said, punctuating the vital role that VWAC and similar services play in the fabric of Clark County's responsiveness to individuals who have encountered the trials of crime. For more information about the victim services available, the Clark County District Attorney's Office can be reached at 702-671-2500 or via email at [email protected].
