Victim & Witness Assistance

The Cape Coral Police Department has a well-established Victim Assistance Program to help crime victims deal with the injustices perpetrated against them. This is a 24 hour on-call service, which assures a Victim Advocate is available to respond on scene to serious crimes, to offer crisis intervention, emotional support and assistance to a victim. An Advocate may also contact victims/witnesses of crimes following the initial response by officers, and provide them with follow-up information, assistance, referral and reassurance that someone cares. Whether on-scene or during follow-up, a Victim Advocate may be able to decrease the victims’/witnesses’ feelings of isolation and abandonment, as well as educate victims/witnesses about their rights, and ultimately help the victim deal with the aftermath of the crime. An Advocate can help a victim understand how the judicial system works, assist a victim in obtaining information pertaining to their case and access benefits under the State of Florida Victim Compensation Program. 

For more information, click the links below to download a copy of our Victims’ Rights Brochure:

• Cape Coral Police Department Community Resource Guide
• Victims’ Rights Brochure (English)
• Victims’ Rights Brochure (Spanish)
• Victims’ Rights Brochure for Victims of Sexual Battery (English)
• Victims’ Rights Brochure for Victims of Sexual Battery (Spanish)
• Domestic Violence Brochure (English)
• Domestic Violence Brochure (Spanish)

Domestic Violence Camera Program

The Cape Coral Police Department has launched a partnership program that allows the strategic deployment of video doorbells in order to better protect and assist local victims of domestic violence. The Domestic Violence Camera Program helps the Cape Coral Police Department continue to meet the service needs of a growing community with a value-driven, client-focused style of policing that improves the quality of life of domestic violence victims. 

This program is led by the Cape Coral Police Department’s Victim Advocates. The Victim Advocates have issued 100 devices donated by Ring as part of a pilot initiative, along with additional community outreach and support from Abuse Counseling and Treatment (ACT), a local non-profit organization. The Cape Coral Police Department, ACT and Ring have come together in support of this program with a shared goal of reducing instances of domestic violence and providing peace of mind to survivors in Cape Coral. 

To deter domestic violence offenders from violating a protection order or committing additional offenses, the Cape Coral Police Department provides a home security device (Ring Doorbell Camera) to qualifying domestic violence victims. In offering this free service, the Cape Coral Police Department hopes to create a sense of safety and security for victims who may be fearful of their perpetrator returning to their residence. Plus, victims who have a permanent injunction for protection against their offender may be able to capture video evidence from their donated device to be used in the apprehension and/or prosecution of their offender.