CA Descano Visits Community Organizations (Just Neighbors & Communities of Trust)
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting two community organizations to see first-hand the work that they’re doing in our community. By making victims of crime more comfortable interacting with law enforcement, Just Neighbors and Communities of Trust are helping to build a safer and more just Fairfax County.
Just Neighbors
Just Neighbors is a Fairfax-based nonprofit organization that provides legal services to immigrants and refugees in our community. This organization has served over 17,000 clients in the DMV region who qualify for humanitarian-based immigration relief — the majority of them being survivors of domestic violence, violent crimes, or persecution.
Just Neighbors recently received a $5,000 grant from our office as part of our Community Partnership Grant Program, which supports organizations that serve child victims of crime, victims of sexual abuse, and victims of domestic violence. This money will help Just Neighbors provide immigration legal services to immigrant children and youth who have been victims of crime, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. Just Neighbors expects this grant to fund services for at least 10 immigrant youth victims of crime this year.
Many immigrants are afraid of reporting crimes or interacting with the legal system because of their immigration status — but they often don’t know that they may be able to obtain legal status under the U-Visa, which provides legal status to victims of crime who cooperate with law enforcement, or the T-Visa, which provides legal status for victims of trafficking. This grant will provide direct assistance for U-Visa and T-Visa cases for immigrant youth and help educate immigrant communities on their legal options.
Just Neighbors has worked with the Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and the FCPD for over 15 years, assisting hundreds of crime victims in applying for visas. Not only has their work improved the lives of countless immigrant families, but it has also helped our prosecutors build strong cases against those accused of sexual abuse and domestic violence against children.
Communities of Trust Committee (COTC)
In the aftermath of the tragic death of Michael Brown in 2014, and the ensuing civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, COTC Executive Director Shirley Ginwright approached the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to establish a committee dedicated to fostering better relationships between local law enforcement and the communities that they serve. The Committee is made up of a diverse group of Fairfax County residents, and organizes regular community events, forums, and festivals dedicated to engaging community members with our law enforcement officers.
Earning the community’s trust in our justice system is a necessary prerequisite to building community safety. By allowing them to interact outside of an arrest or the courtroom, we can foster more positive relationships between our local law enforcement officials and the communities that they serve.
The work that COTC and Just Neighbors continue to do is instrumental in leading Fairfax County towards a safer and more just future.
