Thursday, July 29, 2010
Beecham Reports Victim Notification System Back Up And Running
Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Terry Beecham reported Thursday that a vital tool for victims of domestic violence is back up and running, allowing them a larger safety net.
The VINE system, or Tennessee SAVIN (Statewide Automated Victim Information & Notification) is a service provided by the Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association, supported by grants awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a subsidiary of the United States Department of Justice.
Under the VINE system, victims are able to register either by telephone or online, so that they may receive notification should the offender in their case be released from custody, transferred, or escape.
The local link to the VINE system was severed around six months ago when renovation began at the sheriff’s department. The link remained severed throughout the renovation period, as the department remained displaced.
The department has now settled back into their newly-renovated digs, and work was undertaken last week to reconnect to the VINE system.
Thursday morning, Beecham said the system is back up and running and fully operational. Sheriff’s department staff members are now working to input information that will bring the case logs current.
Beecham said they anticipate that all updates will be completed by Monday. At that point, local victims will be able to log into the system and obtain a complete and accurate update on their cases.
If you are a victim and wish to check the status of your case you may visit the website at: www.vinelink.com. Once there, you will be allowed to register and establish a PIN (personal identification number) in order to receive automated updates. Once your information is added to the system, you will receive automatic updates whenever the offender has a change in status.
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