Schumer Announces Over $195,000 For Buffalo State College To Combat Violence Against Women On Campus

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that $195,719 has been awarded to the Research Foundation of the State University of New York (SUNY), located in Erie County, from the U.S. Department of Justices (DOJ) Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes Against Women on Campus Program. This money will be used to improve prevention of violent crimes against women and response to victims on the SUNY College at Buffalo (Buffalo State College) campus.

This is great news for Buffalo State College, said Schumer. Women should be able to feel safe on college campuses and should not have to think twice about reporting abuse. This funding will help provide a secure community for its students and offer many services for victims of domestic violence. I will continue to fight to ensure that our schools have the tools they need to provide a comfortable learning and living environment.

Buffalo State College will use its initial funding to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of violence against women on campus to ensure that the project has accurate and timely information; develop an enhanced coordinated response team to violence against women on campus; develop and implement mandatory webbased training on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking for incoming students; expand coordination between University Police and local law enforcement; enhance the role of University Police in reducing violent crimes against women on campus; train campus judicial/disciplinary boards on responding effectively to charges of sexual violence issues; and implement a 24hour student helpline focused on crimes against women issues. Partnering agencies include: Crisis Services, the Buffalo Police Department and the Erie County District Attorneys Office.

The Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes Against Women on Campus Program was authorized by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 and reauthorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 2000. This program allows institutions of higher education to establish multidisciplinary consortia to combat violent crimes against women. These comprehensive efforts are designed to enhance victim services, implement prevention and education programs and develop and strengthen security and investigation strategies in order to prevent and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes on campuses.

In 2005, Schumer fought to reauthorize the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Schumer supported efforts to strengthen the VAWA by expanding grant programs, supporting rural areas, and protecting victims. The original VAWA bill was authored by Schumer in the House of Representatives. This legislation will renew several successful programs and provides funding for training, education and outreach so that state and federal agencies can do a better job of preventing violence against women and assisting victims of domestic violence.