Our Program Goals and History

Crow Wing County Victim Services was started in 1996 by Nadine Wittkopp and associates, in an office at 217 South Seventh Street in Downtown Brainerd. The services we provide include but are not limited to Support Services, including crisis intervention, information regarding victim rights, referral to other agencies or sources of support, et C., Court Related Services, which can include support and accompaniment to court or other legal proceedings, assistance in preparing victim impact statements, et C., Financial Assistance, including assistance in completing reparation forms, information and assistance with court ordered restitution, assistance in obtaining the release of property held as evidence, et C., and Education, which involves professional training for us and school and community presentations. All of our services are free and confidential.

As the victim of a crime you have many rights. You have the right to be notified of plea agreements, changes in court schedules and the date, time and place of sentencing, final disposition of the case, et C. You have the right to participate in the prosectution, for example, the right to inform the court of the personal impact of the crime at pretrial and sentencing, the right to object to a plea bargain, thr right to request a speedy trial, et C. You have the right to protection from harm, for example, tampering with a witness is against the law, witnesses do not have to state their addresses in court, victims have the right to a secure waiting area, et C. You also have the right to apply for financial assistance-victims may be elegible for financial assistance from the state if they have suffered economic loss, and victims may also request of the court that restitution be paid.
If anyone has questions regarding this, feel free to contact us.

For our safety, we will no longer be traveling to victim's residences with the exception of those victims who are disabled and cannot come to us, or contact us. We choose to keep our location as anonymous as possible for our safety and the safety of our clients in the instance that an offender would be pursuing our client with the intent of committing harm or violating a court order of no contact.