Weekly News Update

June 23, 2008 |
Valor

Week of June 16th

Bill would require peace officers on cruise ships
Last week, “the Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 7 to 1 on Tuesday in favor of a bill to place peace officers aboard cruise ships, bringing the legislation closer to a full vote in the chamber; it has already passed the state Senate.”
Meanwhile, in Washington, a U.S. Senate subcommittee will hold its first hearing on the issue Thursday, a possible precursor to federal legislation to tighten crime reporting requirements.
Currently, cruise ships are not required to have law enforcement on board and there is only a voluntary agreement in place to report the most serious crimes, such as homicide and rape, to the FBI.
Victims, inmates focus on healing
By Kimberly K. Fu
Both tears and cheers filled a room at California State Prison, Solano on Thursday as inmates both past and present, crime victims and others came together to celebrate one another and to promote the power of healing.
Twenty years ago, the Victim Offender Reconciliation Group (VORG) began its run at the prison. Members of Bay Area Women Against Rape partnered with officials to bring together inmates and crime victims and start a dialogue.

Support our colleagues in Iowa
from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault
As I’m sure anyone not living under a rock knows by now, the northern midwest, and Iowa in particular, has struggled with widesperead flooding over the past weeks due to torrential rains and the subsequent swelling of rivers. Many rape crisis centers in the state have suffered great losses, which, without financial support, may greatly impact the services they can offer their community.
Click here to donate online and learn more.
Law enforcement agencies combine forces to track registered sex offenders
OAKLAND — Dozens of Oakland police and other law enforcement officers conducted the first citywide sweep Saturday to make sure several hundred registered sex offenders were in compliance with state laws, including verifying residency and having DNA samples on file with authorities.