Justice for Victims, Justice for All

A Message From the President and CEO

By Alfonso E. Lenhardt

Americans will come together April 13 - 19, 2008, to mark National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, an annual event during which we honor the survivors of crime, mourn those whom crime has taken from us, and commit ourselves to improving communities so that they don’t fester and become incubators for crime. This year’s event is dedicated to the theme “Justice for Victims, Justice for All,” and that indeed is a noble cause. As President John F. Kennedy said, “In giving rights to others which belong to them, we give rights to ourselves and our country.” Because we are all vulnerable to crime, the theme of this year’s event is particularly compatible with our own mission: To be the nation’s leader in helping people keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe from crime.

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, a partnership between the National Center for Victims of Crime and the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, underscores the urgency of our cause. Twenty-three million Americans are victims of crime each year, and, of those, 5.2 million are victims of violent crime. In 2005, the total economic loss to victims was $1.4 billion for violent crime and $15.6 billion for property crime. Our work is cut out for us.

But National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is anchored in the judicial process, as well. Through the Justice for All Act, passed by Congress in 2004, victims have been empowered. They now have new rights in federal proceedings for notification of key dates in the legal process and the opportunity to present impact statements in trials. Every state has now established statutory rights for victims, and, to date, 33 states have amended their constitutions to protect those rights.

Above all, this special week challenges us to determine not just what more we can do for victims of crime, but what we can do to prevent crime in the first place. Part of the answer may lie in our work, such as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, McGruff Neighborhood, Be Safe and Sound in Schools, Campus Crime Prevention training events, and more.

But, as always, the victims of crime are uppermost in our thoughts. They are one of the most important reasons we’re here. It’s because of them that we work so hard to prevent crime. It’s for them that we pledge our total dedication and support.