Two handbooks are available to help line officers better understand and meet the needs of victims of crime, particularly during the early response period. The handbooks are a joint effort of the National Sheriffs' Association and the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), U.S. Department of Justice.
First Response to Victims of Crime who have a Disability offers guidance and tips on assisting crime victims who have Alzheimer's disease, mental illness, or mental retardation, or who are blind/visually impaired or deaf/hard of hearing.
First Response to Victims of Crime 2001 offers guidance on assisting elderly victims, sexual assault victims, child victims, domestic violence victims, victims or alcohol-related driving crashes, and survivors of homicide victims. The handbooks can be ordered from the OVC Resource Center at (800) 851-3420 and downloaded from:
