Mono County Sheriff's Office announces the implementation of VINE services

To:       All News Outlets

From:  Jennifer Hansen, Public Information Officer

Date:   October 3, 2013

RE: In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month – Mono County Sheriff’s Office announces the implementation of VINE services

One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. During the month of October, in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, various agencies across Mono County will bring awareness to the seriousness of domestic violence. As statistics show, an estimated 1.3 million people are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. There are an estimated 16,800 homicides and 2.2 million medically treated injuries due to domestic violence each year. These statistics are major concerns for law enforcement as a majority of domestic violence incidents go unreported.

The Mono County Sheriff’s Office is one of the 53 counties throughout California that has implemented VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) services. VINE is an automated database system that has combined California county jail and state inmate information that keeps crime victims and their families informed when an offender is released from jail. Some other benefits for this service include:
• VINE is a free service that is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
• VINE is available in English and Spanish and all victim registrations remain confidential.
• VINE allows victims to be notified with accurate information regarding offenders so they can protect themselves.
• VINE provides a 24-hour service and gives registered victims an instant notification via phone or email about offender’s whereabouts.

In law enforcement, it is all about safety first and the VINE service is another avenue that can be used to keep victims of domestic violence safe.  To access the VINE service, visit www.vinelink.com, call (877) 411-5588, or download the mobile VINE app for any smartphone.

The Mono County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to be one of the 53 counties throughout California to offer this service to keep those domestic violence victims within the communities of Mono County safe.