Maryland Kicks Off National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

For the 29th year, the state of Maryland held memorial services for crime victims, reported The Baltimore Sun. These memorial services are part of the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which unites individual efforts across the United States.

What is the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week?

As explained by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is an annual event that unifies advocates across the United States. The OVC works with local actors in each U.S. state to promote a weeklong awareness program for victims of criminal conduct. Additionally, the OVC prepares and distributes a resource guide to help victims and advocates alike.

The 2018 theme for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.” To focus properly on this theme, the OVC is encouraging all advocates to consider how to:

• Maximize crime victim access to support services and educational materials; and
• Improve collaboration between relevant actors to reach a larger number of victims.

Moving past the national focus of the OVC’s efforts, the following section will address the state-specific approach in Maryland for remembering victims of crime.

What are the Maryland State Memorial Services?

As outlined by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention, the state of Maryland hosts statewide memorial services to honor and remember the victims of criminal activity. These events are held annually at various locations throughout the state, ensuring that all citizens can attend without an extensive travel burden.

The Maryland State Board of Victim Services and the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Offices sponsor the statewide memorial services. Please find below a breakdown of the four statewide memorial services that occurred in Maryland this year.

• Northern Region — Includes the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Cecil, Harford and Howard. The Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office sponsored a memorial service at Long Reach High School Auditorium on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at 2 p.m.
• Southern Region — Includes the counties of Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s. The Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office sponsored a memorial service at North Beach Volunteer Fire Department on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at 1 p.m.
• Eastern Region — Includes the counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester. The Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney’s Office sponsored a memorial at Kent Island United Methodist Church on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at 2 p.m.
• Western Region — Includes the counties of Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Montgomery and Washington. The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office sponsored a memorial at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at 11:30 a.m.

Contact Us Today for Help

If were a victim of crime, it can be exceedingly beneficial to reach out to a trusted personal injury lawyer. The lawyers at Iamele & Iamele, LLP in Baltimore, Maryland, have experience helping crime victims pursue legal actions against the criminal perpetrator. If you need legal help, contact us today for a free initial consultation.

Resources:

ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/

baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-crime-victims-memorial-20180408-story.html

goccp.maryland.gov/victims/board-of-victim-services/national-crime-victims-rights-week/memorial-services/