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The sudden, unexpected loss of a loved one is a most difficult time for family members, friends, and loved ones of the deceased.  When that loss is the result of a criminal act, suicide, or violent accident the tragedy becomes unbearable.  All too often those who are closest to victims see a criminal justice system that carefully guards the rights of the accused and leaves them to grieve and try to make sense out of the act of violence that has taken a son, husband, or mother. 

The Sheriff's Office has long recognized the special needs and concerns of family members of those who have lost a loved one in the commission of a crime, accident, or suicide. The agency has a small but dedicated cadre of Victim Advocates who stand ready to render assistance to family members who have lost a loved one through violent act or unforeseen accident.  They are trained to support grieving families and provide them with a light to help them find their way of out of one of the darkest days in their lives and assist them in understanding the complexities of the investigative and judicial processes.  

  

The suicide of a loved one is an unthinkable event that leaves the family members and loved one of the suicide victim in a despair that we could not begin to imagine.  The Orange County Sheriff's Office Victim Advocates will focus on suicides, preventing suicides, and the care they provide to the loved ones of a suicide victim during National Crime Victims' Rights Week. 

 On April 21 the Sheriff's Office will host a morning seminar for suicide prevention professionals and victim advocates that will focus on the issues surrounding suicide.

Did you know?

  • During 2006 suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States
  • Suicide was the seventh leading cause of death for males and the sixteenth leading cause of death for females in 2006.
  • Almost four times as many males as females die by suicide.
  • In 2006, suicide was the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. Of every 100,000 young people in each age group, the following number died by suicide:
  • Of every 100,000 people ages 65 and older, 14.2 died by suicide in 2006. This figure is higher than the national average of 10.9 suicides per 100,000 people in the general population.
  • Suicide is a major, preventable public health problem.

For more information on suicides and suicide prevention please visit the following websites.

For additional information on the Orange County Sheriff's Office Victim Advocate Program contact Sgt. Joe Moore, Unit Supervisor at joe.moore@ocfl.net.
  

 

Visit the National Center for Victims of Crime
website at www.ncvc.org
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