APD Awarded Funding for new Victims Advocate and Domestic Abuse Response Team

Thurs. May 26, 2022

ALBUQUERQUE – The Albuquerque Police Department has received funding to hire a new victims advocate to work within the Criminal Investigations Division.

Leading up to the 2022 Legislative Session, APD with the assistance of Representative Miguel Garcia, proposed the Law Enforcement Violent Crime Victim Assistants Grant. During the session, members of the police department testified in support of the grant to help fund new advocates and resources for victims of violent crime.

On May 19, 2022 APD was notified that it was selected to receive a Law Enforcement Violent Crime Victim Assistants award in the amount of $150,000. 

The new advocate will work directly under APD’s Victim Liaison Manager Terry Huertaz who works exclusively with survivors of homicide. The individual who fills this new position will work with victims of violent crime.

“I know how important it is for victims and survivors to be provided the resources they need to heal and cope with the crimes that have impacted them, but to also help navigate the criminal justice system,” said Chief Harold Medina. “We have already seen the impacts our Victim Liaison Manager has had on survivors of homicide, and the more advocates and resources we can bring into the department, the better we can help our community heal.”

The additional funding will go toward a new team within APD called DART, the Domestic Abuse Response Team. DART will provide immediate community-based services on the scenes of domestic violence incidents. The purpose of the project is to empower victims to make educated decisions that positively affect the safety of the family involved.

In addition, the project will focus on active collaborations with APD and other support agencies to facilitate a coordinated response to victims. The grant funds will be used to supply twenty APD field officers with iPads to facilitate on-scene communication with the Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC) advocates through a Zoom meeting. The grant will also support the hiring of a part-time temporary employee to serve as the liaison between DART officers, victims, and advocates through the DVRC.