Tag Archive for: Summer Stephan

5 Things About One Safe Place

5 THINGS to know about One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is celebrating the two year anniversary of opening One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center and in this video, District Attorney Summer Stephan shares 5 things you should know about this amazing family justice center that is an important resource for our community:

  1. One Safe Place is a safe place for anyone who has been a victim of a crime to receive comprehensive free services such as acute crisis care, advocacy, counseling, legal services, childcare, connections to shelter and housing, and social service benefits – all under one roof.
  2. We opened on July 5, 2022, and we’re celebrating our 2nd year anniversary.
  3. In just two years, One Safe Place served over 5,200 crime victims and received the help that they needed.
  4. The symbol of One Safe Place is Hope, Healing and Justice. Those are the three things that we provide, and we do it with the help of over 100 partners agencies working collaboratively with the DA’s Office to provide hope, healing, and justice for the community.
  5. We serve every type of victim with a focus and expertise on victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, elder abuse, hate crimes, and gang-related crimes. But every victim of crime is welcome to walk in.

To learn more about One Safe Place, just visit OneSafePlaceNorth.org.

 

 

DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 09-12-24

In this week’s DA News Update, DA Summer Stephan reveals the result of a school shooter’s parole hearing and discusses upcoming educational forums about a ballot proposition.

DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 09-05-24

In this week’s DA News Update, District Attorney Summer Stephan recognizes victims of fentanyl overdoses, and explains a historic binational agreement to help crime victims.

District Attorney Summer Stephan stands at a podium for a press conference with the Consulate General of Mexico Alicia Kerber-Palma, Attorney General of Baja California Maria Elena Andrade, the Director of Baja California Justice Center for Women Magdalena Bautista, and the Director of One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center Claudia Grasso.

DA Announces Historic International Partnership with Baja California Attorney General and Family Justice Center

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today the start of a historic partnership with the Attorney General of the State Baja California, the State of Baja California Justice Center for Women and the DA’s One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center. There are close to 300 Family Justice Centers world-wide and this agreement makes One Safe Place the first Family Justice Center to have an international partnership. Baja California is the 12th-largest state by area in Mexico.

The DA also announced the renewal of a partnership between the Consul General of Mexico in San Diego and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for the Mexican Consulate to have presence at One Safe Place via community outreach, crime prevention and vital services for the victims we serve. The partnerships were solidified with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today. 

“Criminals who prey on victims for human trafficking, exploitation and violence know no borders,” said DA Summer Stephan, “Thousands cross the border every day between Tijuana and San Diego to go to work, school or visit family and friends and we know that there are many who are victims of crime on either side of the border. With this partnership, we will work together to cross-refer victims and provide vital services on both sides of the border to further regionalize help and ensure they can get to a safe and healing place no matter where they live or work.”

Since opening in July 2022, One Safe Place has served over 5,500 individuals, provided legal services to approximately 1,500 people, and received more than 16,000 calls and emails to their various helplines. One Safe Place provides support services all under one roof to anyone who has experienced child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, hate crime, elder abuse, human trafficking, violent loss, family violence, or other abuse or victimization. This is all in collaboration with over 100 community organizations and agencies like the Mexican Consulate and now the Attorney General of the State of Baja California and the State of Baja California Justice Center for Women, created to prevent violence against women and girls by providing legal, psychological and social services. Victims will no longer be forced to cross the border, sometimes waiting hours, to get to services. This partnership will ensure culturally-sensitive referrals for victims to access resources where they live, work or where they are most comfortable.

“Violence against women, children, and vulnerable people leaves a deep mark on their lives. It is necessary to develop and implement action protocols to guarantee comprehensive and sensitive care for victims of gender violence,” said the Attorney General of Baja California, Maria Elena Andrade Ramírez. “For this reason, I thank the San Diego County Attorney’s Office for providing a space where Mexican authorities can assist their fellow citizens who are victims of this crime. Baja California and California share a history of fighting against criminals who commit crimes on both sides of the border. We are convinced that working together is an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation to ensure that victims receive help to heal their physical and emotional wounds, as well as guarantee justice for them.”

 

“Considering the reality of gender violence in our state and our close relationship with the United States, strengthening binational cooperation is not only important, it is imperative,” said Magdalena Bautista, Director of the State of Baja California Justice Center for Women. “Violence against women does not recognize borders, so justice and protection should not have limits either. Through this memorandum of understanding, we are taking a significant step to expand our impact and effectiveness in providing care and access to justice for women, and we reaffirm more strongly than ever our commitment to building a future where no woman has to live in fear, and where justice knows no borders.”

District Attorney Summer Stephan stands with the Consulate General of Mexico Alicia Kerber-Palma, Attorney General of Baja California Maria Elena Andrade, the Director of Baja California Justice Center for Women Magdalena Bautista, all holding up the signed MOUs.The renewal of the MOU with the Mexican Consulate further creates opportunities for collaboration with One Safe Place in outreach and prevention work, including the Consulate’s participation in the free informative community event “Cafecito Con La Comunidad” which takes place the second Friday of every month at One Safe Place. Together, the Mexican Consulate and One Safe Place have hosted events on wellness, have made college connections for first generation students and provided Consulate services at One Safe Place to meet the needs of the North County community and alleviate transportation barriers for those who are unable to travel to the Consulate’s main office in downtown San Diego.

“Addressing domestic violence requires a collective effort,” said Alicia Kerber-Palma, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego. “It is crucial that we work together – government agencies, community organizations, and local leaders – to provide support to victims and prevent future cases of abuse. Consular assistance and the protection of Mexican communities abroad through the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego constitutes the highest priority of our foreign policy.”

 

“The continued partnership with the Mexican Consulate has helped strengthen a bridge with the Latino community and helps enhance their trust in law enforcement when reporting crime and seeking help when victimized,” said DA Stephan. “Together we will continue to work to ensure that victims who seek services at One Safe Place, where the Mexican Consulate is an onsite partner, receive culturally sensitive help in their native language that focuses on safety, justice and healing.”  

One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center is located at 1050 Los Vallecitos Blvd., San Marcos, CA 92069. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m. The State Baja California Justice Center for Women is located at Avenida Moctezuma #1, Colonia Residencial de Cortez, Camino Verde, 22190 Tijuana, Baja California, with hours of operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

[VIDEO of One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center.]

How to Avoid Romance Scams

In this week’s DA News Update, DA Summer Stephan talks about common “romance scams” and important tips on how to avoid them.

Text that says "5 Things the DA's Office Accomplished in 2023" with the background of a gavel, scales of justice and a few books on a table.

5 THINGS The DA’s Office Accomplished in 2023

We are more than halfway through the year and District Attorney Summer Stephan wanted to take this opportunity to let you know about some of the work we are doing at the DA’s Office. Here are 5 things the DA’s Office accomplished last year in 2023:

1- Working together, we were able to reduce the numbers of fentanyl overdoses by over 7% especially with youth.

2- We updated our unique school threats protocol with all 42 school districts that is laser focused on preventing school shootings.

3- We grew and supported a first-of-its-kind Elder Justice Task Force that is working around the clock to protect seniors from fraud that destroys their hard-earned retirement.

4- We fought retail theft through our specialized team and brought down multiple organized retail crime rings to protect small and large businesses.

5- We served over 5,000 vulnerable victims at One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center, removing them from a sure path to homelessness and despair. We continue to work to obtain justice for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, hate crimes, organized retail theft, fentanyl poisoning, environmental and consumer fraud, elder abuse, sex crimes, child abuse and many more.

You can read our detailed Annual Report for 2023 by going to SanDiegoDAannualReport.com or visit SanDiegoDA.com and click on 2023 Annual Report.

DA Weekly News Update with DA Summer Stephan 08-15-24

In this week’s DA News Update, DA Summer Stephan alerts victims of the Santana High School shooting about the upcoming parole hearing scheduled for the shooter. She also talks about the importance of victims’ rights, including their right to participate in parole hearings.

Photo of the Hall of Justice building with text overlay that reads: 5 things you should know about the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.

5 THINGS About the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

In this video, District Attorney Summer Stephan shares FIVE THINGS you should know about the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office:

  1. The DA’s Office is responsible for prosecuting felony crimes committed in San Diego County.
  2. The DA’s Office also prosecutes misdemeanor offenses that occur outside the City of San Diego – since the City of San Diego has a City Attorney that prosecutes their misdemeanors.
  3. The DA’s Office is the LARGEST provider of victim services in the county, in fact last year, in 2023, our Victim Assistance Program assisted 10,379 victims of crime.
  4. Each year, the more than 300 prosecutors in the DA’s Office file about 40,000 criminal cases on behalf of the county’s nearly 3.3 million residents.
  5. Part of our mission is also to prevent crime by partnering with the community to create initiatives that help promote public safety and participating in collaborative courts that hold offenders accountable but divert them to programs and treatment that stop the cycle of recidivism.

You can learn more about what we are doing on our website SanDiegoDA.com or follow us on social media!

DA Summer Stephan speaks at a podium with city, county and state leaders standing behind her.

DA Collaborates with City Attorney’s Casa Mariposa Domestic Violence Shelter

On Friday, June 21, 2024, District Attorney Summer Stephan joined San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott and Senator Toni Atkins to celebrate the arrival of a new shelter option for families who are fleeing domestic violence. The Casa Mariposa Domestic Violence Shelter will offer survivors the services they need to get their lives back on track and ensure they do not fall into homelessness when they leave their abusers. Both the City’s Your Safe Place and the County’s One Safe Place (North County Family Justice Center) Family Justice Centers will make referrals to Casa Mariposa, operated by SBCS (formerly South Bay Community Services). A large percentage of unsheltered women were victims of domestic violence — physical, psychological, and sexual — before becoming homeless. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, visit sandiego.gov/yoursafeplace or go to onesafeplacenorth.org for help.

District Attorney Summer Stephan Honored with U.S. Attorney General Meritorious Public Service Award

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan was honored at a ceremony Wednesday with the United States Attorney General’s Award for Meritorious Public Service — the top public service award granted by the U.S. Department of Justice. It is designed to recognize the most significant contributions of citizens and organizations in support of justice.

U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland, announced the recipients for the 71st Annual Attorney General’s Awards in December.

“I’m grateful for the Attorney General’s award and recognize that this national award speaks to the entire team’s dedication at the DA’s Office to pursue fair and equal justice,” DA Stephan said. “I’m honored to lead and work alongside them and appreciate this extraordinary recognition of our work. Serving the public through protecting the most vulnerable is my calling in life and I am grateful to be able to carry out this important work on behalf of San Diegans. I was so moved by the accomplishments of so many deserving recipients from across our beloved nation in other award categories. Several U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including the local office of U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath, were recognized for incredible work protecting our democracy from domestic and foreign criminals.”

District Attorney Stephan was selected in recognition of her leadership and collaboration with federal law enforcement on multiple large-scale operations to combat fentanyl trafficking, elder fraud, and violent crime.

The Attorney General’s award recognizes that DA Stephan has furthered the mission and goals of Department of Justice by implementing a protocol to identify and investigate school threats, tripling hate crime prosecutions, embracing community policing and criminal justice reform, leading law enforcement de-escalation training, and creating and expanding diversion programs for substance users, juveniles, veterans, and those struggling with mental health issues.

The award is also in recognition of DA Stephan’s leadership in prevention and messaging campaigns, focused on reducing sexual assaults on college campuses, raising awareness about human trafficking, and using social media to warn the public about counterfeit pills and prevent fentanyl overdoses.

“This award reflects on the collaboration and partnership with the dedicated team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office along with federal, state and local law enforcement all working together to keep our neighborhoods safe,” DA Stephan said.

The award ceremony was Wednesday afternoon at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.