Carnahan Receives Missouri Victim Assistance Network Award For Work on Safe at Home Program March 31st 2011

From the SOS Office: Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has received the James P. Damos Award from the Missouri Victim Assistance Network. The award, which was announced today in St. Joseph, Mo., recognizes a Missourian who has made a significant difference to victims of crime above and beyond their designated responsibilities.

Carnahan was nominated for the award primarily for her work establishing Safe at Home, an address confidentiality program which has served more than 1,000 Missourians since it was established in 2007. Victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking may enroll in the program, which provides a substitute mailing address to use when creating new records with state and local government agencies and the courts. The mailing address also can be used to receive first class, legal and certified mail.

The substitute mailing address allows victims to keep their home address secure and confidential, which limits an assailant’s ability to use information on new government documents to locate their victims. As one Safe at Home participant said, “The first peace I have known since my abuse was when I enrolled in your program.”

“Safe at Home helps to protect some of Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens as they work to rebuild their lives,” Carnahan said. “I’m proud that my office has been able to help so many survivors of domestic violence, and it is an honor to be recognized by the Missouri Victim Assistance Network.”

To ensure all Missourians have access to the program, Carnahan’s office trained over 500 Safe at Home Application Assistants serving in agencies across the state. The Application Assistants are available to meet locally with potential participants to make the enrollment process easy for survivors when they need it most. Application Assistants can be found in shelters, victim service agencies, law enforcement agencies, legal services offices and courthouses throughout Missouri. For more information about the Safe at Home program, visit http://www.MOSafeAtHome.com.

The namesake of the award, James P. Damos, was the Chief of Police of the University City Police Department for 27 years, one of the original board members of the Missouri Victim Assistance Network, and a former National Organization for Victim Assitance board member. Damos created the first law-enforcement-based victim services unit in Missouri. The Missouri Victim Assitance Network is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote fair treatment for victims of crimes.