According to The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute there were 4.6 million violent crimes nationally in 2021, the most recent data year available.
“Typically, crime is broken down into violent crime or property crime,” said Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson. “And violent crime is, as you might imagine, any kind of crime that involves an injury or physical injury to someone. Property crime is based as (on) property alone.”
He said violent crime — including homicides —are trending upward in the city of Evansville and slightly in the county. He said he’s working with Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin to reduce this.
National Crime Victim Rights Week is promoted through the US Department of Justice. “They're encouraging local law enforcement and victims assistance groups to kind of amplify that message this week,” Robinson said.
The Sheriff’s Office has a resource for victims of crime and violent crime in Vanderburgh County — it’s VCCVR.org —for Vanderburgh County Crime Victims Resources.
There’s victim rights information, resources and ways to check up on your case. It also features partner organizations such as Holly’s House, and Albion Fellows Bacon Center.
Robinson said it’s not just for victims of crime.
“Learn about all the services that are available to crime victims — and anyone else who's in need of services,” he said. “This includes) anything from housing emergencies to homelessness, to being a victim of any form or fashion of crime or simply bullying or harassment.”