The Colorado Victim Rights Act became effective in January of 1993. The following is a summary of the rights guaranteed by the Victim Rights Act:

• To be treated with fairness, respect, and dignity
• To be free from intimidation, harassment, or abuse
• To be informed of all “critical stages” of the criminal justice process
• To be present at specified critical stages in the criminal justice process
• To be informed of the existence of the criminal protection order and upon request of the victim, the procedure for modifying the protection order if a procedure exists;
• To receive a free copy of the initial incident report from the investigating law enforcement agency; release of a document associated with the investigation is at the discretion of the law enforcement agency based on the status of the case or security and safety concerns
• To have the victim’s social security number redacted or excluded from criminal justice documents when records are released to someone other than the victim, a criminal justice agency, or the defendant’s attorney of record
• To consult with the district attorney prior to any disposition of the case or before the case goes to trial and to be informed of the final disposition of the case
• To be informed of the status of the case and any scheduling changes or cancellations, if known in advance
• To receive and prepare a victim impact statement and to be present and/or heard at the sentencing hearing
• To be informed of the availability of financial assistance and community services;
• To receive a prompt return of property when it is no longer needed as evidence; For a complete listing of your rights, please refer to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-4.1-301 through 24-4.1-304

• Provide information about community services such as crisis intervention services, victim assistance resources, legal resources, mental health services, financial services, applicable protection services, and other support services
• Provide the victim of crime with the business address and telephone number of the district attorney’s office, the file number of the case and the name, business address and telephone number of any law enforcement officer assigned to investigate the case
• Keep the victim of crime informed as to whether a suspect has been taken into custody, whether the suspect has been released from custody, any bond conditions imposed upon the suspect, register the victim for notification from the jail of an escape, release, transfer or death of the suspect
• Upon the request of the victim, return the victim’s property within 5 working days when it is no longer needed for evidentiary reasons;
• Inform victims of the offender’s change of status from jail
• Inform victims of crime about decisions not to file charges in misdemeanor cases
• Upon request, provide victims of cold cases for which the crime has a statute of limitations of longer than three years with an annual update concerning the status of the case
• Provide information on forensic medical evidence that has not resulted in a conviction or a guilty plea, upon request of the victim

If a victim is deceased or incapacitated, these rights may be exercised by the victim’s spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, significant other, or other lawful representative.

Through the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (VTVPA) of 2000, Congress created the U Visa (U non-immigrant classification) to provide legal status to victims of specified crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal act. The U Visa provides eligible crime victims with nonimmigrant status the ability to temporarily remain in the United States while assisting law enforcement.

Who is eligible for a U Visa? The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may find an applicant eligible for a U Visa if the applicant:

• Is the direct or indirect victim of qualifying criminal activity.
• Has suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of criminal activity.
• Has been helpful, is helpful, or is likely to be helpful to a Federal, State, or local prosecutor, to a Federal or State judge, to USCIS, or to other Federal, State, or local authorities investigating or prosecuting criminal activity; and
• The criminal activity violated the laws of the United States or occurred in the U.S. or the territories and possessions of the United States. · Additional information can be found through the USCIS HERE

The Edgewater Police Department understands the importance of U Visas to crime victims and is dedicated to reviewing and responding to certification requests. If you are in individual with nonimmigrant status and a victim of a qualifying criminal activity that is investigated by Edgewater Police Dept, you or your representative can email the I-918 Supplement B form to edgepolice@edgewaterpd.com or mail the form to the Edgewater Police Dept, Attn: Records, at 1800 N. Harlan Street, Edgewater, CO 80241.

The Edgewater Police Department Chief of Police will review and respond to certification requests within ninety (90) days of submission.