Thursday, June 16, 2005
QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY RICHARD A. BROWN ADDRESSES INTERFAITH ROUNDTABLE OF QUEENS RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AND STATE COURT SYSTEM
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today addressed over 100 clergy members at the Jamaica Courthouse for the Interfaith Roundtable of Queens Religious Communities and the New York State Court System.
Joining District Attorney Brown to welcome roundtable participants on behalf of the Judiciary was Justice Leslie Leach, the Administrative Judge of Queens County.
The roundtable was organized by New York State Court Deputy Chief Administrative Judge of Justice Initiatives Judge Juanita Bing-Newton.
Among those attending the session were Buddist Minister Shi Heng Lin of the Shaolin Temple of the United States and Matt Werner of the Interfaith Center of New York.
The District Attorney spoke about the criminal justice system and the importance of community cooperation with police and prosecutors in the fight for public safety with the goal of keeping Queens County “safe, vibrant and thriving.”
District Attorney Brown said, “We in the justice system take our obligations very seriously and have had great success over the years in lowering the level of violence in out county and improving the quality of life of our residents. Indeed, last year Queens County led the City in crime reduction. I believe that it is fair to say that Queens County is today the safest county in the safest big city in America.”
The District Attorney pointed out that clergy members are in a unique position “to let it be known that the criminal justice system is user friendly, that it is fair and impartial -- and that it is accessible to everyone. It is important for your congregants to know that they can call on us to help address problems like graffiti, prostitution, drug dealing or gang activity. But it is also important for your congregants to understand that in order for us to help, that it is vital that they share information with us.”
District Attorney Brown said, “When community members are victims of crime, it is important that they report those crimes to the police immediately. To ensure that they do, they must feel confident that they will be treated with respect by the criminal justice system and that their communities will support them in going to the authorities. Crime victims must understand that if they are victimized we will fight hard to protect them without regard to their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or immigration status. You can assist us to build that confidence. Crime victims should know, for example, that my office has crime victim advocates on staff who can help them seek financial reimbursement for their losses, get their locks fixed, provide emergency housing or transportation assistance and refer them for services or counseling to programs that are sensitive to their cultural and religious needs.”
District Attorney Brown also spoke about some of the innovative programs that are revolutionizing the way crimes are investigated and prosecuted in Queens County, including:
- the new Child Advocacy Center in Forest Hills that brings together police, prosecutors, social workers, doctors and advocates to meet the needs of child victims in one stop. The services include sensitive medical treatment by trained professionals, counseling and support services for the victims themselves and for their families and coordinated multi-agency investigations of child physical and sexual abuse to reduce the trauma suffered by child victims and build stronger criminal cases against their abusers.
- the DNA Prosecution Unit that uses the latest DNA technology to solve cases and bring serial rapists to justice.
- the Domestic Violence Bureau that uses digital photography and digital 911 telephone calls to enable prosecutors to proceed with criminal prosecutions against batterers even in cases in which the victim may be too frightened to cooperate.
- the Special Prosecutions Division that builds cooperative partnerships with community leaders and serves as a vital channel between the community and law enforcement for the exchange of information about community crime trends and particular crimes.
- the Alternative Sentencing Program that gets help and appropriate treatment for community members who may have committed a crime because of a drug, alcohol or mental health problem.