Today, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), a member of the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees, announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded a  $299,664 grant to Passaic County Community College in Paterson to enhance victim services and develop programs to prevent, investigate, and respond to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on campus.  The awards are made with funds from the Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program (Campus Program).
 
“I commend Passaic County Community College for taking seriously the threat of sexual assault and stalking, which is an issue facing campuses across the nation,” said Rep. Pascrell.  “As we send our children away to college this week, their health and safety must remain paramount.  During this time of economic recovery, many college campuses lack the resources to adequately address sexual assaults.  This federal grant makes a significant investment in addressing the epidemic of sexual violence on our college campuses by developing protocols to identify potential offenders along with treatment needs.”
 
"Protecting women against violence is a serious issue on college campuses around the country,” said PCCC President Dr. Steven Rose.  “At Passaic County Community College our goal is to prevent incidents through education and awareness, but to be prepared should an incident occur. This grant will allow the College to coordinate our efforts with the Paterson Police Department and community agencies. Passaiic Community College thanks Congressman Pascrell for his continued support that made obtaining this grant possible.

PCCC’s program will address the four Campus Program statutory requirements, including the following:
•         Create a coordinated campus and community response to violence against women on campus;
•         Establish a mandatory prevention and education program about sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, including a bystander intervention program for all incoming students;
•         Train all law enforcement to respond effectively in sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking cases;
•         Establish or strengthen programs to train all members of campus disciplinary boards to respond effectively to charges of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
 
PCCC’s external partners will include the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Women’s Center, Strengthen our Sisters, and the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
 
Created in 1995, the DOJ Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides federal leadership in developing the Nation’s capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation. OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
 

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