DA Clark receives grant to help combat domestic violence
District Attorney General Dave Clark said this week that he applied for and has been awarded a grant to hire a prosecutor within his office dedicated to and specializing in domestic violence.
The grant includes funding for an assistant district attorney and associated costs for a period of two years.
Grant funding came from federal funds through a program administered by the Tennessee Department of Finance – Office of Criminal Justice Programs.
There are 31 district attorneys in Tennessee, but only two successfully received the grant award.
The domestic violence grant prosecutor will focus on helping to train and respond to police questions about domestic violence calls, supporting victims of domestic violence and prosecuting domestic violence cases in court.
The domestic violence prosecutor will be stationed at the new Anderson County Family Justice Center located in the Jackson Square neighborhood of Oak Ridge.
“We are very happy to have been awarded this grant because of what it means in helping us make Anderson County a better and safer place to live,” Clark said.
“Specialized prosecutors receive expert training and have the ability to focus on single issues,” he said.
“That expertise makes a difference in training others and makes a difference in obtaining justice in and outside of the courtroom,” Clark said. “Domestic violence cases represent a number of the repeated calls to police through the 911 system and many of the cases that come through the courts.
“We want to crack down on domestic violence to save victims, stop offenders, do justice and reduce the volume of 911 calls by resolving the underlying problem. This grant should help,” he said.