VIROQUA, Wis. – Last year Vernon County was awarded a Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative (RVCRI) grant to address domestic violence , and this week Vernon County announced it has been invited to serve as a session panelist and presenter at the 2024 International Association of the Chiefs of Police’s (IACP’s) Conference & Exposition, scheduled for October 19th – 22nd in Boston, Mass. This annual event is one of the largest gatherings of law enforcement personnel in the country. Over 16,000 public safety professionals will attend this year’s event to learn new techniques, advance their knowledge and careers, and equip their department for ongoing success.
The planned session, entitled “Partnerships that Pay Off: Strategic Approaches to Reducing Violent Crime in Rural Communities” will provide IACP conference attendees an opportunity to learn more about the RVCRI program along with specific elements of Vernon County’s project which includes innovative strategies to address violent crime through robust cross-sector partnerships.
In 2023, Vernon County was awarded a $200,000 RVCRI grant to address domestic violence in our communities. This collaborative initiative involves representatives from the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, Stonehouse Counseling, Family & Children’s Center, Hansen Assessment & Education Services, Passages, the Vernon County District Attorney’s Office, local law enforcement agencies, and many resident volunteers. Together, this team of passionate and dedicated individuals is working to end the cycle of abuse by implementing HEART (Help End Abuse response team), a program that trains local volunteers to assist law enforcement at the scene and support the victims of domestic violence, by developing a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) Team that meets monthly to analyze and enhance current processes and procedures related to domestic violence response, and by training local clinicians to conduct domestic violence assessments and run groups for those with domestic violence charges.
“We are honored to be chosen to present at the IACP Conference,” said Program Manager Susan Townsley. “All the agencies involved in this program are working hard to end the cycle of violence in Vernon County. We have made great strides in our collaborative efforts, and we appreciate this recognition.”
“I am so proud of our team; a perfect example of collaboration to better serve our community,” said Vernon County Sheriff Roy Torgerson. “What you are doing is making a difference. Your efforts to do your part in reducing violent crime in our rural area is making a difference. It is humbling that our great team will be presenting at the International Chief of Police Conference.”
The RVCRI is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s (USDOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and administered by the National Policing Institute and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), with support from the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association (SREELA).
RVCRI provides funding and training and technical (TTA) assistance to rural law enforcement agencies seeking to reduce violent crime and address problems associated with violent crime. Agencies may use funding and support to implement violent crime reduction strategies, improve investigations, enhance services to victims, increase collaboration between local stakeholders, and for other areas that support violent crime reduction in rural communities.
More information about the RVCRI can be found at www.RuralVCRI.org. For more information about Vernon County’s initiative to address domestic violence, reach out to Susan Townsley at info@stonehousecounseling.com or Vernon County Sheriff Roy Torgerson at 608-637-2123
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