Photo: Senator Anna M. Kaplan speaks on the resolution from the floor of the New York State Senate on April 26, 2022.

ALBANY, NY (April 26, 2021) – Today, the New York State Senate passed a resolution, J.1812, authored by Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-North Hills) to proclaim April 24-30, 2022 as Crime Victims’ Rights Week in the State of New York, which will be observed in conjunction with the observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which has been observed each April since 1981.

In remarks from the floor of the Senate, Senator Kaplan talked about the need to do more to support crime victims, survivors, and their families, including by passing her legislation, S.7537, which would establish Crime Victim & Trauma Recovery Centers across New York State.

Senator Kaplan said “Each year, 22 million Americans will be directly impacted by a crime, and all too often, that experience leaves a life-changing impact on the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of survivors, their friends, family, and neighbors.

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week has been observed every April since 1981 as a way to bring awareness to the struggles of crime victims, survivors, and their families, with the goal of removing barriers to justice for all victims.

The theme of this year’s observation is “rights, access, and equity for all victims,” underscoring the importance of helping crime survivors find their justice by enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services, and ensuring equity and inclusion for all.

At a time when we’re seeing crime rates on the rise around the country and in our own communities, we CAN do more to help, and we MUST do more to help, not only by raising awareness on Crime Victims’ Rights Week, but by passing meaningful legislation that uplifts survivors and helps victims and their families to put their lives back together and heal the wounds that the doctors cannot.

It’s why I’m proud to be the sponsor not only of this resolution, but also of legislation that would create a network of Crime Victim and Trauma Survivor Recovery Centers across the state, to break the cycle of violence, provide equitable and inclusive community-based services, and help victims and survivors to get true access to justice.

We owe it to every New Yorker to be there for them in their hour of need, and it’s on all of us to ensure that these services exist, and are accessible to all, no matter where they live, or their personal circumstances. Because we’re New Yorkers—and we look out for one another, no matter what.”

  crime, NY