The Services, Training, Officers, Prosecution (STOP) program promotes a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to improving the criminal justice system's response to violent crimes against women and encourages the development and strengthening of effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to address violent crimes against women and the development and strengthening of victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women.
The goal of the Virginia Services, Training, Officers, Prosecution (V-STOP) Violence Against Women grant program is to establish programs that enhance the criminal justice system's response to violence against women by promoting the identification, apprehension, prosecution and adjudication of persons committing violent crimes against women. In addition, VSTOP will also support programs that develop and enhance victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women.
Grant funds must be used to address one or more of the following purpose areas:
- Training law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors to more effectively identify and respond to violent crimes against women, (including the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including the appropriate use of nonimmigrant status under subparagraphs (T) and (U) of section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)).
- Developing, training, or expanding units of law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors specifically targeting violent crimes against women, including the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
- Developing and implementing more effective police, court, and prosecution policies, protocols, orders, and services specifically devoted to preventing, identifying, and responding to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as well as the appropriate treatment of victims.
- Developing, installing, or expanding data collection and communication systems, including computerized systems, linking police, prosecutors, and courts or for the purpose of identifying, classifying, and tracking arrests, protection orders, violations of protection orders, prosecutions, and convictions for violent crimes against women, including the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
- Developing, enlarging, or strengthening victim services and legal assistance programs, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking programs, developing or improving delivery of victim services to underserved populations, providing specialized domestic violence court advocates in courts where a significant number of protection orders are granted, and increasing reporting and reducing attrition rates for cases involving violent crimes against women, including crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
- Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing the needs and circumstances of Indian tribes in dealing with violent crimes against women, including the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
- Supporting formal and informal statewide, multidisciplinary efforts, to the extent not supported by state funds, to coordinate the response of state law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, victim services agencies, and other state agencies and departments, to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
See the program guidelines for an extended list of the 24 purpose areas of VSTOP.
Grant funds may be used only for expenses that directly relate to carrying out the activities described in the 24 purpose areas listed in Section II. B. of these guidelines.
Grant funds may not be used for renovations, construction, land acquisition, lobbying, fundraising, or formation of corporations. For a full list please refer to the application guidance.