Victims Assistance

LAKELAND RESIDENTS

If you have been a victim of a crime that occurred inside in the City limits of Lakeland please contact our Victim Assistance team members at 863.834.6903. Our team is here to assist you through the process of applying for compensation and available assistance.  If you are unsure if you reside inside the City Limits of Lakeland please visit http://addresslookup.lakelandgov.net/addressinfolookup.aspx for confirmation.  

OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS

If you are a victim of a crime that occurred outside the City Limits of Lakeland, click here, for resources needed to complete requests for compensation and assistance.  

• What type of services are available to victims of crime or their families?
  • 24 hours a day, 7 days a week availability of staff or volunteers to go to crime scenes, hospital, or other designated locations
  • Crisis Intervention - at the crime scene or the hospital   
  • Court escort
  • Criminal court orientation
  • Assistance with filing victim compensation claims
  • Assistance with property return
  • Interviews and photo pack review
  • Emergency financial assistance
  • Body identification/death notification
• What type of benefits are available?
  • Disability - financial compensation for the victim who suffers a permanent whole body impairment or disability.
  • Sexual Battery Relocation - relocation benefits for victims of sexual battery seeking relocation due to reasonable fear. Rape Crisis Center form is required.
  • Human Trafficking Relocation - relocation benefits for victim of sexual human trafficking seeking relocation due to reasonable fear.  A certified rape crisis center or domestic violence center, state attorney, or statewide prosecutor certification form must be submitted with the application.
  • Funeral/Burial - expenses for a deceased victim.
  • Loss of Support - financial compensation for the financial dependents of a deceased victim who was employed at the time of a crime.
  • Lost Wages - financial compensation for the victim who lost wages because of a crime.
  • Medical/Dental Treatment - reimbursement to the victim for the cost of prescriptions, eyeglasses, dentures, or a prosthetic device lost or damaged due to a criminal act.
  • Mental Health Counseling - reimbursement for adults only pertaining to forcible felony cases or life threatening situations.
  • Children - less than 16 years of age who are emotionally/physically injured may be eligible for reimbursement for counseling. In addition, children who witness any criminal act may qualify for counseling.
  • Elderly or Disabled Adults - may be compensated for property loss from crimes up to $500.00 if the loss results in a diminished quality of life.

  Florida Office of the Attorney General reserves the right to make the final determination of eligibility, not the Lakeland Police Department.

In 1992, the Lakeland Police Department established the Victim Assistance Unit to assist crime victims and their families to regain a level of normalcy enjoyed by them prior to their tragedy, and to ensure compliance with the Florida Victim/Witness Rights laws.

You will find a wide range of information on our victim assistance web page.
 
The Victim Compensation Trust fund has been established to provide financial support/cash awards for victims of crime. Assistance is provided in the areas of counseling, dental/medical bills, lost wages, etc. All applications must be processed to determine eligibility. This trust fund is funded entirely by offenders and is collected annually by each Judicial Circuit in the State of Florida.

The Lakeland Police Department's Victim Assistance Unit offers a wide range of services to victims of many crime types. The program is mandated to service victims of crime in the following areas.

• Adult Victims of Sexual Assault
• Aggravated Battery
• Arson
• Auto Theft
• Burglary
• Child Victims of Physical Abuse
• Child Victims of Sexual Assault
• DUI Cases
• Elderly Abuse
• False Imprisonment
• Home Invasion
• Homicide
• Kidnapping
• Larceny
• Robbery
• Simple Battery
• Stalking
• Other unnamed types of crime

The Victim Assistance Unit at the Lakeland Police Department offers numerous services to victims of crime and/or their survivors.

We believe the value in helping make the victim or their family whole again helps victims recover from the traumatic experience of being the victim of a crime.

For more information, click documents below:

Victims' Rights Brochure

Victims' Rights Brochure (Spanish)

Civil Rights Fact Sheet

HSI Victim Notification Program

National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)

Attorney General Ashley Moody (My Florida Legal)

Office for Victims of Crime

HelpGuide.org

How Social Security Can Help when a Family Member Dies - Fact Sheet

LaNece Wardell

Victim Assistance Coordinator

863.834.6903
lanece.wardell@lakelandgov.net

Matt O'Dell

Victim Assistance Associate

863.834.6914
matthew.o'dell@lakelandgov.net

Jannah Davis

Victim Assistance Advocate