While the city saw fewer shootings in June compared to the same period last year, overall crime was up 31% year over year, according to the most recent data from the New York Police.
Statistics reveal a total of 125 shootings in June, up from 165 the year before. The city also saw a decline in murders across the board, with 26 homicides in June compared to 38 last June.
However, overall crime increased 31.1% in June compared to the same month last year, with a 36.1% increase in robberies, a 17.3% increase in serious assaults, an increase 33.8% in burglaries and a 41% increase in grand thefts. The number of reported rapes also increased by 2.9% between June 2021 and June 2022.
Any New Yorker can become a victim of the dizzying violence that plagues the city’s streets, but there is a little-known program that offers financial compensation to those who were physically injured during a violent event.
The Office of Victim Services provides a safety net for people who have no other way to pay for costs, including but not limited to medical bills, counseling expenses, burial and funeral costs, and lost wages, as a result of being a victim of crime. Family members of crime victims can also receive help.
This is a program of last resort, which means that a crime victim/survivor or family member must exhaust all other sources of compensation before the Office of Victim Services can help. For example, benefits from health or other insurance policies or workers’ compensation must first be claimed before the agency can provide financial assistance.
Click here to learn more about the requirements.
WHO CAN REQUEST COMPENSATION?
Innocent crime victims, certain family members and dependents, legal guardians, and good Samaritans who helped the victim may be able to obtain compensation for expenses not covered by insurance and other resources.
WHAT KIND OF EXPENSES CAN I BE COMPENSATED?
The compensation offered is related to personal injury, death and loss of essential personal property. Specific expenses include:
• Medical, pharmacy and counseling expenses.
• Loss of Essential Personal Property (up to $500, including $100 cash).
• Burial or funeral expenses (up to $6,000).
• Lost wages or lost support (up to $30,000). Parents or guardians of hospitalized minors may qualify for this benefit.
• Transportation (to go to court or to the doctor).
• Occupational/vocational rehabilitation.
• Safety devices and shelter costs for victims of domestic violence.
• Crime scene cleanup (up to $2,500).
• Good Samaritan property losses (up to $5,000).
• Moving expenses (up to $2,500).
HOW DO I ASK FOR COMPENSATION?
You can apply online before the Office of Victim Services, with the following documents:
• Police reports
• Medical bills
• Correspondence with insurance companies or benefit plan saying if they will cover your loss
• Insurance cards
• Receipts for essential personal property
• Death certificate and funeral contract
• Birth certificate of the victim
• Proof of age (driver’s license, birth certificate, etc.)
• Legal guardianship documents
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T HAVE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS?
Submit the request immediately. You can send the documents later once you get them.
MY PROPERTY WAS LOST, DAMAGED, OR DESTROYED DUE TO CRIME, DO I STILL QUALIFY FOR HELP?
If you are under the age of 18 or over the age of 60, and have a disability or were injured during the incident, you can apply for benefits to replace personal property or cash that was not covered by any other resource, such as prescription glasses.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I NEED COMPENSATION RIGHT AWAY?
In limited cases, you can apply for an emergency grant, up to $2,500.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I MOVED AFTER I FILED THE CLAIM?
You will need to send a letter with the new address, phone number, and email address to:
New York State Oce of Victim Services
Alfred E. Smith State Oce Building
80 South Swan St., Second Floor
Albany, New York 12210
You can also submit your signed change of address online at ovs.ny.gov.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION OR HELP IN MY COMMUNITY?
The Office of Victim Services funds victim assistance programs throughout New York State. These programs can help you apply, along with immediate help, including access to legal advice and emergency shelter, among other services. Find an office in your area here.
The state funds about 200 victim service organizations throughout New York.
Like all other state-run compensation programs, New York’s system was designed to promote greater participation in the criminal justice system. As a result, compensation is only available (with several broad exceptions) to victims who report the crime to an appropriate law enforcement representative.
NEW JERSEY
Similar to New York, the New Jersey Office of Crime Victims’ Compensation helps certain individuals whose lives have been tragically altered as a result of violent crime victimization by providing compensation for some expenses they suffer as a result of the crime.
The VCCO was established by the Criminal Injury Compensation Act of 1971 to help victims recover from the effects of violent crime by providing financial assistance to victims, their families, and victim service providers to help ease the burdens economic and emotional victimization.
Call to 973-648-2107 o al 877-658-2221 to get help. To get benefits, you must submit a completed claim form and comply with the Board regulations explained in the instructions. You will be asked to submit information to support your request. Whenever possible and to expedite processing, it would be helpful to submit a copy of a police report and related insurance bills, receipts and statements with the application. Send only copies and keep the originals for your own records.
Open here for more information.
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