Live Life Without Fear

I entered the career of Law Enforcement on a whim. I was looking for a career that would provide me with daily challenges and the opportunity to be involved within the community I live. Throughout this journey, I have been afforded that opportunity, and I have also observed some inefficiencies within the criminal justice system. One of those inefficiencies would be that of victim rights. 

I know that victim's rights are important because these victims are in desperate need of help. It has gotten to the point of these individuals reaching out to the government for assistance with a problem that they cannot fix on their own. Sometimes these problems are only "handled" and then they are thrown back into the world with the expectation of carrying on with life as normal. I have seen several cases where victims would live in such a world of fear, that they would contact Law Enforcement almost daily, wanting to know that they were safe, where the offender was, how long they will be there, what will happen next, and various other questions about their incident. This leaves them with a feeling of vulnerability, confusion, desperation, and many other emotional feelings. 

One of the proposed rights that Marsy's Law speaks of is "informed." From what I have seen in my career, information is what most people seek. From a victim's standpoint, it is not what they seek, but what they need, so they can attempt to live a life without fear. Government has issues with transparency, and I feel that victims in cases, should have the right to have knowledge of what is happening in their case. Not just the run of the mill, report the issue, let Law Enforcement take care of it, and go back to normal. The victim is an equal partner in any and all cases that they report, which should entitle them to the information with the case as a whole. Information should also be provided as to what to expect next, how to help themselves, treatment, therapy, finances through restitution, and other resources that would help them in their effort to do the right thing by being productive parts of our communities.