Dane County District Attorney

Crime Response Program

Office: (608) 284-6908 | Pager: (608) 376-0164

To report a crime in progress or one that has already occurred, call police at 911. The District Attorney's Office is not a “first responder” agency. The Crime Response Program provides services to victims of crime, their families, witnesses, on-scene, or in the early stages of the investigation. Criminal charges are not required for initial contact or service provision, but the incident should be of a potentially criminal nature.

Our Goals

Guide victims and their families through the beginning of the criminal justice process and advise on their constitutional and statutory victim rights
Provide care and services in a way that honors a victim's rights to dignity, respect, courtesy, sensitivity, and fairness while striving to be culturally sensitive and trauma-informed in delivery
Assist victims of crime in Dane County regardless of arrest

Our Services

Crisis response and intervention
Emotional support, trauma incident reduction
Explanation of trauma symptoms and coping techniques
Assessment and response to immediate and long-term safety needs of the victim
Mass Violence Response

Ways to Work Together - CRP can:

Serve as a liaison between law enforcement and agencies the victim is involved with (criminal justice system, employers, medical facilities, ME, etc.)
Assess safety and security (ex. repairing damaged property, offer victim cell phone often located at district or OIC)
Provide panic buttons in coordination with case detective
Assess the need for emergency lodging for victims and their families
Assess for immediate needs related to the crime (ex. gas, clothing, food)
Assist in property recovery and facilitation of crime scene clean-up
Refer victims to our clinical therapists for crisis counseling
Collaborate with law enforcement in responding to mass violence events to maximize community recovery