Pennington Borough Police Department is presently seeking volunteers to participate on the following teams:

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM RESPONSE TEAM

The Domestic Violence Victim Response Team (DVVRT) is a partnership of Womanspace, Inc. Mercer County, New Jersey law enforcement agencies and community members. DVVRT volunteers are trained to meet with victims of domestic violence at police stations to provide information and support at the time of a reported incident or upon request. Becoming a part of the solution to end violence in our communities can be a very rewarding experience and an excellent opportunity to meet others who share the same interest in helping victims of domestic violence.

New Jersey law requires that volunteers be available to victims of domestic violence. For more information, go to the New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women Web site. Mercer County has an active team in all 13 municipalities: East Windsor Township, Ewing Township, Hamilton Township, Hightstown Borough, Hopewell Borough and Township, Lawrence Township, Pennington Borough, Princeton Borough and Township, the City of Trenton, Washington Township, and West Windsor Township.

SEXUAL ASSAULT SUPPORT SERVICES ADVOCATES

Sexual Assault Support Services Advocates are volunteer victim advocates who work to enhance the victim-centered approach that is now standard for providing services to sexual assault victims. They provide accompaniment to hospitals in response to crisis calls received by the hotline, from local hospitals, police or the prosecutor’s office. Advocates provide crisis intervention, counseling, emotional support, information and referrals to sexual assault victims and their significant others. They may also be asked to support a survivor through follow-up with medical care and law enforcement proceedings.

The next training for DVVRT, Hotline and Advocates will be in early 2005 – for more information call Susan Adams, Volunteer Coordinator at 609-394-0136, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., EST or e-mail her at saa@womanspace.org.

Contact Police Liaison, Officer Steven Friedman of the Pennington Borough Police Department at (609)-737-1679 Ext. 23, or e-mail him at ptl707@hotmail.com.

Come join us for an informational evening on January 20, 2005 @ 6 PM at the Pennington First Aid Squad, no commitment required! RSVP to Officer Steven Friedman.