Each year, BWIC recognizes law enforcement officers and other professionals within the criminal justice system for their efforts above and beyond the call of duty to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence.
On Wednesday, May 13 Berks Women in Crisis will hold its ninth annual Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony and training event at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel, 100 N. Fifth Street, in Reading. The awards ceremony and luncheon will take place at Noon.
The training event begins with a 9:00 – Noon session entitled “Investigation and Prosecution of Strangulation Assaults” with Gael Strack, Esquire, of the San Diego Family Justice Center. Ms. Strack is a former San Diego prosecutor who pioneered, along with Dr. George MacLean, the investigation and prosecution of non-lethal strangulation in a manner that has been duplicated across the country. Because strangulation is common in domestic and sexual violence cases, she will offer techniques of investigation, documentation of injuries and successful prosecution that will hold perpetrators of this serious crime accountable.
The afternoon session will feature a panel discussion by members of the PFA subcommittee of the Berks County Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB). This group convened in 2007 with the assistance of PCADV (The PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence) to study and improve the Berks County Protection From Abuse process, and is comprised of representatives from local law enforcement, Court Administration, the District Attorney’s office, the Court of Common Pleas, Adult Probation and Parole, Children & Youth Services, and Berks Women in Crisis. The panel will present information about their progress, and recent changes to the Protection From Abuse process.