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REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 23, 2009
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<br />county/city employees: 5 deputy prosecuting attorneys, 2 paralegals, 3 clerical support
<br />staff, 2 victim advocates, 2 prosecutor’s investigators, and 11 police detectives from
<br />South Bend, St. Joseph County, and Mishawaka Police Departments. He noted that of
<br />the eleven police detectives assigned to the FV/SVU, seven are assigned by the South
<br />Bend Police Department. In 2007, the FV/SVU investigated a total of #,676 cases, of
<br />which 2,354, or 64%, originated in the City of South Bend. The statistics for 2008 are
<br />still being complied; however, the percentage of cases originating in South Bend is
<br />consistent with previous years. Mr. Dvorak noted that the FV/SVU is funded by a grant
<br />through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, prosecutor’s diversion/deferral user fees,
<br />and taxpayer dollars. It is important to note that consolidating these investigations into
<br />one Unit was done without increased cost to county or city taxpayers. This consolidation
<br />of government services is consistent with the recommendations of the Kernan-Shepard
<br />report, published earlier this year. We have co-located highly trained investigators and
<br />prosecutorial staff members in a single unit, dedicated to the investigation and
<br />prosecution of these crimes against women and children. Until 2007, the FV/SVU was
<br />housed on the second floor of the CASIE Center Building, at no cost to the County or
<br />Cities. However, the space became and remains insufficient for the staff of the FV/SVU.
<br />With the receipt of the President’s Family Justice Center Initiative grant award, the
<br />FV/SVU was able to relocate, without incurring rent costs, to the Family Justice Center
<br />building. The Family Justice Center secured a two-year lease of the former United
<br />Health Services building located at 711 East Colfax Avenue, South Bend, Indiana. This
<br />lease included space for the FV/SVU on the second floor of the building; the terms of the
<br />lease expired at the end of December 2008. The Family Justice Center spent over
<br />$105,000 in grant funds to make the building compliant with ADA standards, to add a
<br />medical exam room, and to install telephone and network cables necessary for the staff to
<br />perform their work tasks. Additionally, a $25,000 security system was installed, at no
<br />labor cost, by the Notre Dame Security Police Department. The FV/SVU has grown, due
<br />to an increase in the number of these cases reported in St. Joseph County: in 2003, there
<br />were 3,177 cases investigated and in 2007, there were 3,676 cases investigated, a 15.7%
<br />increase. It is perhaps because of the co-location of police detectives, from the three
<br />major police departments, with deputy prosecutors and support staff that it has not
<br />become necessary to increase the number of staff at the rate that the caseload has
<br />increased. Members of the FV/SVU are dedicated to conducting thorough investigations
<br />and prosecutions of those crimes that affect the most vulnerable members of our
<br />community. They continue to do so while seeing an increase in the number of cases
<br />referred by local law enforcement. Mr. Dvorak noted that on December 16, 2008, in a
<br />public hearing, in a 7-0 vote, the St. Joseph County Council passed Ordinance 112-08,
<br />appropriating $43,500 from the “Rainy Day” fund to pay rent for the FV/SVU for 2009.
<br />On December 23, 2008, the St. Joseph Commissioner approved the ordinance in a 3-0
<br />vote. In the ordinance, Section 2 reads: “This ordinance shall be in full force and effect
<br />contingent upon an appropriation from the City of South Bend for $43,500 from and after
<br />its passage and approval as required by law.” The St. Joseph County Council and
<br />Commissioners, under the terms of their Ordinance, cannot issue a check to the owner of
<br />the building located at 711 East Colfax to pay rent for the FV/SVU until and
<br />“Appropriation” is made by the City of South Bend. Mr. Dvorak urged the Council to
<br />pass this bill. He stated that now they are at a crossroads, needing funding to pay the rent
<br />in order for the FV/SVU to remain in their offices. He stated that to regress by
<br />dismantling the FV/SVU, would led to not having the quality of investigations that have
<br />lead to successful prosecutions. He stated that the safety of women and children in the
<br />community depends on the success of the FV/SVU in partnership with the not-for-profit
<br />Family Justice Center.
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<br />Councilmember’s Varner and Dieter expressed their concerns that the City of Mishawaka
<br />is holding up their end of the bargain. They stated that they have a stake in this unit also
<br />and it is their responsibility to pay their contribution to this joint unit. Councilmember’s
<br />Varner and Dieter stated that they would be voting in favor of this bill, however, the very
<br />emphatically express to Mr. Dvorak that other revenue streams would have to be looked
<br />at for the next year. They explained that due to HB 1001, the City is looking at a deficit
<br />and will be cutting funding to various departments.
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