It can happen in an instant. You’re minding your own business and somebody snatches your purse. Or duplicates your credit card and runs up debt. Or breaks into your car. Suddenly you are a victim of crime.

It can take years. A child is molested regularly from the time she is six years old. A trusted employee steals a little at a time; you discover a decade later that you’ve lost thousands of dollars. You’ve been a victim of crime all along.

The District Attorney’s Office is well-equipped to help crime victims. A surcharge of five percent is added to every fine that a criminal defendant pays. We take that money and hire Victim Advocates who meet with crime victims. We explain the court process. We help with medical bills. We seek reimbursement for what they’ve lost. We prepare them for what happens at trial. We seek input from the victim concerning plea negotiations. We make travel arrangements for out-of-state victims who must come to court. And at trial, the Victim Advocate goes into the courtroom with the victim to offer support.

We have a Victim Advocate in each county in the circuit. Michelle Ivey is the Director of Victim Services and she works with the Fayette victims. She’s very good at what she does. The police have called her countless times in the middle of the night. Each time she has hurried to the crime scene to assist the victim or, if the victim has been killed, the grieving parent or spouse or child. I’m proud of her. Her hard work makes Fayette County a better place to live.

And here’s the beautiful part. Criminals, not tax-payers, pay for it all.