Hogan announced $2.3 million in funding to help domestic violence, sexual assault victims

The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention has awarded more than $2.3 million in federal Violence Against Women Act grants to organizations throughout the state, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced in a news release Thursday.

The grants will be used to combat domestic violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes against women, and to hold offenders accountable, according to the release. The Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center in Prince George’s County received $25,000, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office received $95,000.

“These resources will provide critical treatment and support that can make a real difference,” Hogan said in the release.

The federally funded grants come from the Office on Violence Against Women at the U.S. Department of Justice in accordance with the Violence Against Women Act that was reauthorized in 2013, the release stated. The act is a grant that allocates its funding to services, training, law enforcement officers and prosecutors.

“Organizations across the state — from our courts and state’s attorneys’ offices, to law enforcement agencies and nonprofit organizations — will use this funding to protect victims and help families rebuild their lives,” Glenn Fueston, executive director in the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention, said in the release.

The grants encourage state agencies to form partnerships with the criminal justice system and victim advocacy organizations to look beyond traditional resources, according to the release. That means the groups would partner with community and faith-based organizations to combat domestic violence.

“I encourage all Marylanders to join with us in fighting to prevent these crimes and providing support and care for all victims,” Hogan said in the release.

The grants align with the University of Maryland’s efforts to combat sexual assault and domestic violence. On Oct. 18, the university announced six new Title IX positions between the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct and the CARE to Stop Violence office following a now-withdrawn SGA proposal to raise more than $1 million through a $34 annual student fee for the Title IX office.

The city of College Park has also been shining purple lights outside of City Hall this month as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.