On March 11, 2015, the Reno City Council unanimously approved the Reno City Attorney’s Office presentation regarding the City’s role in addressing domestic violence.
“We’ve made several improvements and modifications in our domestic violence division that will help us better combat this important issue in our community, and continue to provide safe and livable neighborhoods for our residents,” said Reno City Attorney Karl Hall.
Highlights of changes to the domestic violence program are:
City Attorney’s Office
- Created a new full-time prosecutor position.
- Obtained a six-month grant from the State of Nevada to fund a second victim advocate position.
- Seeking to obtain a two-year grant to maintain the additional advocate position, along with a program change request from the City to fund this position for future years with or without the grant.
- Changed the procedure to have the City Attorney’s Office contact victims and begin working on domestic violence cases within hours of arrest.
- Created a special phone line directly to the criminal division that is given to victims on scene by the Reno Police Department.
- For the first time in several years, the City Attorney’s Office is sending prosecutors and advocates to domestic violence training.
- Requiring prosecutors and advocates to participate in statewide committees to address domestic violence.
Municipal Court
The Municipal Court is changing the way it handles domestic violence cases, allowing the City Attorney’s Office to charge its own cases. Prosecutors now draft all criminal complaints on domestic violence cases. The goal is to review and charge on Domestic Battery arrests within 72 hours.
Reno Police Department
RPD has incorporated Family Crime Detectives to involve them in cases set for trial, since the City Attorney’s Office does not have investigators. Detectives, advocates, and prosecutors meet on a weekly basis. Detectives are actively working on follow-up on cases, gathering more evidence and locating victims and witnesses for trial.
“With the assistance of the police department, our goal is to take more cases to trial that are evidence-based, without the victim testimony,” Hall said.
