As our communities become more entrenched with technology, many law enforcement partners are taking on a greater role to create safer communities. The California State Sheriffs’ Association (CSSA) is assisting victims of domestic violence and other serious violent crimes through the Victims Information Notification Everyday (VINE).
VINE has been partnered with the Alameda County community since 1996. During this time span, the system has delivered over 230,000 notification telephone calls to victims in the county. In addition, VINE was one of the first systems to utilize email technology, allowing registrants to receive notifications while away from home. To date, the Alameda County VINE Program has notified almost 4,000 individuals via email. VINE has also recently expanded its ability to contact users through social media efforts: a new iPhone and Android smart phone application informs victims of changes in the custody status of criminal offenders. This application is free to crime victims and is anonymous for users.
Although VINE caters primarily to victims of domestic violence, it also serves as an informational resource for both the public and private sectors. For example, VINE is used by employers to track the release date of disgruntled employees; journalists utilize the system to find the release date of high-profile offenders; judges refer to VINE to learn the release date of offenders who they have sentenced; and law enforcement consults this service to stay informed on the status of offenders in their own case files.
As the nation’s first automated system for victim notification, VINE seeks to preserve a victim’s right to personal safety following a crime. Just this year, there have been 961 new VINE registrants in Alameda County, and over 11,000 VINE notifications have been sent. The program’s success is even more impressive when reviewing statewide statistics. VINE is now live in 53 California counties, and there have been over one million offender searches performed throughout the state in 2013. The program has proven to be an effective tool that enables survivors to take pre-emptive action to avoid being victimized again. I urge law enforcement agencies that utilize the VINE Program to publicize their success, and others that are not members to join this valuable program.
For more information, see the California VINE website.
