WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Representative Charlie Melancon (D-LA) announced today that the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement has been awarded a $1,736,711 federal grant to prevent violence against women.  The grant was awarded through the STOP Violence Against Women grant program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.  The STOP Program provides grants to help state law enforcement officials develop and implement strategies to address violent crimes against women and enhance services for victims.

“This grant will help law enforcement in Louisiana more effectively prevent and prosecute violent crimes against women, and provide survivors of violence with better services to help them heal,” said Rep. Melancon. “I will continue to support funding for grants like these that directly benefit our people and communities in south Louisiana.”

Last year, Rep. Melancon supported in Congress an appropriations bill providing $430 million for the federal Office on Violence Against Women, which administered the grant announced today.  The office works to reduce violence against women and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Rep. Melancon also supported the appropriations bill because it provided $1.3 billion – $765 million above the President’s request – for federal grants to state and local law enforcement organizations, such as the grant awarded today to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement.
 
The STOP Violence Against Women grant program works to create a partnership among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services organizations to enhance victim safety and hold offenders accountable for their crimes against women.  Under the STOP program guidelines, the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and other grant recipients will distribute the grant funding between those four entities, with at least 30% going to victim service programs. 

Specifically, the STOP grants help Louisiana and other states:

• support greater enforcement of laws and court orders;
• create plans for judiciary education on domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking;
• increase services and delivery to victims;
• provide specialized training for professionals whose work brings them into contact with victims;
• and develop cooperative working relationships with law enforcement, courts, medical services, social services and other professional communities.