Department of Justice - Office For Victims Of Crime
Michigan Attorney General
Michigan US Senators
Michigan US Representatives
Michigan State Senators
Michigan State Representatives
RE: Funding For Michigan Officer Involved Domestic Violence Project (MIOIDV) website (owned and operated by Renee' Harrington)
In 2007 I created the MIOIDV website after Michigan officials and legislators previously refused to fund/approve a state OIDV program. As a survivor of officer involved domestic violence (OIDV), I created the MIOIDV website for victims/survivors of OIDV in order to bring the travesties of these crimes to the attention of government officials. With over 750,000 visitors to the MIOIDV website, I have succeeded in bringing to light the miscarriages of justice in these OIDV cases.
A large number of the daily visitors on my website are city, county, state, and federal agencies. The MIOIDV website allows officials to access these cases instantly so they don't have to spend hours and days researching OIDV cases themselves.
Additionally, the website allows state officials to follow current OIDV cases as they progress through the criminal justice system. Thus, officials are able to witness first-hand the discrepancy in how OIDV criminal cases are handled differently than non-officer involved DV cases.
I am one of only a few Michigan DV experts in the state who has publicly addressed our state's need for laws and programs to protect OIDV victims. I have been interviewed on radio, TV, and in newspaper articles; therefore, it is understandable that officials rely on my website for their OIDV research.
Unfortunately, unlike the media which acknowledges and cites my work, officials using my site fail to acknowledge or cite it properly. In some of these incidents, officials have actually downloaded my research from my site. My concern is that officials not citing and acknowledging my work have an opportunity to present my research as their own.
After a sheriff deputy's attempt on my life I was blackballed from working in law enforcement, criminal justice, and working with DV victims; which is a deprivation of my rights under Color of Law. I had previously volunteered hundreds of hours to the city and county in drafting domestic violence programs and compiling statistical research. The county retained all of my work and with it they were able to obtain state and federal funding for one of the programs I had drafted.
In sum, if I'm not able to secure financial support for the website very soon, I will be unable to offer the website to those state officials who rely on it.
I would be happy to schedule an appointment with you to discuss this matter. I look forward to working with officials on this matter.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Renee' Harrington
michigan.oidv@gmail.com
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