STOP F.E.A.R. Coalition to Address Domestic Violence
In order to respond to the needs of survivors in a comprehensive way and to provide a coordinated community response to domestic violence, Center for Safety & Change, in collaboration with VCS, legislator Harriet Cornell, the Rockland County District Attorney’s office and law enforcement, formed the STOP F.E.A.R. Coalition in 1986, which initially consisted of the Criminal Justice Committee.
STOP F.E.A.R.
• Family Abuse
• Endangering Women and Children
• Abuse of All Kinds
• Rape and Sexual Assault
The Criminal Justice Committee meets monthly to:
STOP F.E.A.R. Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force
In 2013, the Center, in collaboration with other entities, formed the STOP F.E.A.R. Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, which has helped develop a coordinated community response to trafficking in Rockland County.
The Anti-Trafficking Task Force meets quarterly to increase partner communication and training efforts, with the overall goal of identifying more victims in need of support and proactively investigating and prosecuting traffickers. Members of both committees include police, judges, the District Attorney’s office, FBI, Child Protective Services, Department of Social Services, Probation and others.
The Center continues to lead the community in violence prevention efforts by coordinating the STOP F.E.A.R. Coalition, and by co-chairing various sub-committees of the Coalition, focusing on issues in education, mental health, domestic violence in the workplace, anti-human trafficking and criminal justice.
Rockland Immigration Coalition
The Rockland Immigration Coalition (RIC) is a non-partisan voluntary organization whose membership spans sectors: non-profit, community-based, faith based, government, medical, educational and individuals. RIC embraces the value that immigrants bring to our community and has stood with immigrants for over 16 years by undertaking outreach and education, advocacy and galvanizing volunteers to respond to humanitarian crises. The Center has been an active member of RIC for over a decade and hosts its monthly meetings. Stefany Ovalles, our immigrant rights attorney, and Andrea Panjwani, our chief legal officer, currently chair RIC and sit on its steering and legal committees. RIC has played an important role in creating a growing consensus that our community is safe and thriving when immigrants are able to live without fear and have equal access to justice.