Goals & Guidelines

Goals of the Central Alberta Victim & Witness Support Society:

Lessen the immediate impact of a crime on a victim
Help victims cope with the effects of a crime by providing support, information and referrals to existing social agencies
Focus on the prevention of further victimization and provide encouragement to the victim
Help to increase the "availability time" of RCMP Members and be of service to investigators by providing assistance to the victim during the investigation of a crime
Actively participate in preventative crime deterrents with potential victims
Promote positive liaisons between RCMP Members, Court systems and the victim
Promote ongoing public awareness

Guiding Principles for Helping Victims:

To treat victims with courtesy and compassion and respect their dignity and privacy so they only suffer the minimum inconvenience from their involvement with the criminal justice system
To ensure victims receive prompt and fair attention for the harm they have suffered
To provide information regarding the victim’s rights, remedies and the methods to obtain them
To provide information to the victims about their participation in criminal proceedings, scheduling and disposition
To ascertain the views and concerns of the victims and provide the appropriate assistance throughout the criminal process
To ensure the personal interests, views and concerns of the victim are brought to the attention of the court where appropriate and consistent with criminal law and procedure
To provide options to the victims and their families to ensure their safety
To inform the victim of health and social services and other relevant assistance
To encourage victims to report the crime and cooperate with law enforcement
To provide well-trained volunteers who are able to maintain the integrity of the Central Alberta Victim & Witness Support Society and that all contact with members, victims and the public at large is kept confidential