July 26, 2005 – The Human Services Department and the Law Enforcement Planning Commission are the recipients of federal grants, Delegate Donna M. Christensen announced in a news release Tuesday.
The Law Enforcement Planning Commission will get $631,000 as a STOP Violence Against Women formula grant from the U.S. Justice Department.
"We've been getting these since the inception," Acting LEPC director Meridith Nielsen said Tuesday. He wasn't sure exactly how many years LEPC received the grants, but said it was about six to eight years.
Thirty percent of the funding goes to non-profit, nongovernmental victim services programs; 25 percent goes to law enforcement agencies; 25 percent to prosecuting cases; and 5 percent to the courts. The remaining 15 percent is awarded at the territory's discretion.
The STOP program was designed as a way to address violent crimes against women and to develop and enhance services for women who are victims of violent crimes.
Nielsen said that while women's groups like the Safety Zone on St. John, the Family Resource Center on St. Thomas and the Woman's Coalition on St. Croix will get some of the money, LEPC is reaching out to other agencies that may not know about the funding source.
"Or they may be intimidated," he said.
He said departments like the Tourism Department, which deals with tourists who are crime victims, are eligible to apply for grants.
While applicants currently have to apply to the LEPC at 8172 Subbase, Suite 3, St. Thomas, VI 00802, Nielsen said that by September or October applications may be made online.
The Human Services Department received $75,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Senior Medicare Patrol project.
This project calls for the development and testing of innovative programs, services and systems to assist the nation's growing elderly population, to learn more about the problems and needs of the elderly, to ensure there are adequately trained people to work with the elderly population and to demonstrate better ways of improving the quality of life for the elderly.
Human Services spokesman Monife Stout said she had no further information about this grant, but would provide information Thursday.
Contact the Human Services Department at Knud Hansen Complex Building A, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI 00802.
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