The Herald-News - News Story

    A victim notification system that could have prevented a woman's murder in Louisville, Ky., should soon be available in Rhea County.
    According to Rhea County Special Projects Coordinator Jeff Knight, in the 1980s, the woman's ex-boyfriend, who had recently been released from jail, found her, killed her and was later arrested in connection with her murder.
    "She didn't even have a clue that he was back out on the street," Knight said.
    After that tragic incident, the woman's parents formed a group to give victims a chance to be notified of their perpetrators whereabouts. Today, the system is headquartered in Louisville and has spread throughout Tennessee's 95 counties.
    The Tennessee Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification Service, provided by the Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and the Tennessee Sheriffs' Association, will be available to all victims of violence crime-child and elderly abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence-who have registered with the program.
    Operators with the service contact a victim with the status and location of his or her perpetrator, whether he or she has been released from jail, transferred or has escaped.
    "It's an information service that's 24 hours a day, seven days a week for victims of violent crime," said Knight.
    Rhea County police officers will be carrying information sheets for victims to fill out when an offender has been charged with a violent crime. They may then call the toll-free number listed on the sheet and speak with an operator to register for the program. Victims may also visit www.vinelink.com to register for the service as well.
    Victims may then give their phone number to be called when the perpetrator's jail status has changed. In order to confirm their safety to the operator, callers must create and enter a personal identification number. When registration is complete, victims are notified within 15 minutes of an offender's status change, according to Knight.
    Knight also noted that for four consecutive days after the offender is incarcerated, the system will check up on the victim to see if he or she is okay.
    According to Detective Rocky Potter, who investigates domestic violence and sex crimes for the sheriff's department, the law currently states that the jail must notify victims of violence before the perpetrator is released from jail. He said it is difficult for a jailer to maintain this responsibility considering the sheer number of arrests for violent crimes in the county.
    "We even make arrests for domestic violence by intimidation," Potter said.
    The new system would erase liabilities for the sheriff's department, said Potter, since it is the victim's responsibility to sign up for the service.
    Important to note is that offenders are not aware of their victim's registration with the system.
    Additionally, if the victim is not at home, operators will leave a message on an answering machine every four hours until the victim calls back with the PIN. It will continue to call for up to 48 hours if the victim does not answer, whereby operators will notify local police, who will then check on the victim at his house.
    Victims may also leave more than one number with the service, including a cell phone number.
    A statewide grant covered the expense for the system, so it is free to the victims and the sheriff's department, according to Potter.
    Knight said he expects the system to be in place within two to four weeks.
    About 62 percent of Tennessee counties are signed up for the system, said Potter, and in six to nine months, the Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence expects all of Tennessee to be registered.
    "[Victims] don't have to be constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering if he's on the street, going to come after them," said Knight.
    "It gives them peace of mind," added Potter.
    Michelle Friesen can be reached at michelle.friesen@rheaheraldnews.com