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crime victims week

Healing a community takes a village of specialized forces: recognizing Criminal Justice Day with awareness program

By Joanne Beck
crime victims seminar 2025
Trisha Reynolds of Justice for Children Advocacy Center, left, facilitates a panel of Genesee County agency representatives as they talk about what services they can provide for victims of crime during a Criminal Justice Day program Monday at Grace Baptist Church in Batavia.
Photo by Howard Owens

Although there are multiple agencies ready to help victims of crime in Genesee County, sometimes all it takes is that one person with a particular forte, Jess Marciano says.

“Having a Swiss Army knife is not always the most effective tool,” Marciano said during a Criminal Justice Day panel Monday at Grace Baptist Church in Batavia. “It might be better having somebody who is specialized … to have diversified experts. Knowing who to tap, that’s what makes this so incredibly helpful.”

Marciano represented GLOW OUT!, and was with five others — Batavia Police Youth Detective Eric Hill, Grace Baptist Church Associate Pastor Zack Dawson, Restore Sexual Assault Services Training Coordinator Bobbie Steinhauer, and Jacquelyn Wheeler and Samantha Rychlicki of YWCA, all who spoke about their local resources within the county that offered those specialized services to victims.

They were given a scenario of a mother and father that didn’t get along, and had a transgender child who was struggling with the turmoil and dad’s addiction and abusive behavior toward the mom.

How would each agency respond?

The police department would refer the family, dad in particular, to the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI), Hill said, plus the fire department and Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

“You can come to us with those drug addiction problems, and we won’t arrest you,” he said. “That would be a case where we would not arrest you, but we would actually get you in touch with ConnectCare services and counseling services without any questions asked. So if we were called to the scene, or if this family came to our police department with these issues, that would be a potential avenue for them to go down.”

There’s a countywide Single Point of Access group (SPOA) for pulling multiple agencies together to discuss issues and needs; the Mental Health Department for counseling; YWCA’s domestic violence services and a safe house for mom and the child if needed; Family Court and orders of protection; Grace Baptist certified counselors; and the police department’s jurisdiction of making an arrest and getting an arraignment for the husband’s abusive actions to prevent further harm while the case goes to court.

Restore would probably focus first on mom and make sure that she had supports for the sexual assault history, and is connected with a counselor, Steinhauer said.

“Because, again, her services are all free, trying to get whatever support she needs. And because we've got counselors that serve Batavia, that would be one piece of the puzzle, and then to try to figure out what else is needed,” she said. “We have some resources for the queer community, for the parents and for the kids that just say, here's some books, here's some resources, so that you know that you're welcome here and might be supportive to what means this family have. And then always, always the hotline. Any time, any reason you wake up at 3 a.m. and because, for reasons that trauma likes to hit at 3 a.m. we have a full volunteer (schedule). These people learn to be volunteers. They work hard, and they show up at 3 a.m. for those calls, and that's why they're there.”

As for Dawson, he’d want people to show up at the church.

“I’d want them to find that church community, and life is better connected. We’re not meant to live life in isolation, and it sounds like that family is isolated,” he said. “They need relationship and they need to find safe people. One of the things that I'd encourage you to do is I know that there's safe people in the school, and teachers love the students that they have, and the way that I've tried to work is just to be a person that is known as a safe person.”

He likened a person to a four-legged chair, with each leg an extension of that being: the spiritual aspect, social aspect, emotional aspect and the physical. So if someone has suffered physical and/or sexual abuse, there’s damage that “as a church we would want to get that person out of that situation,” he said.

“We would work with dad’s addiction … it’s not just the flip of a switch. We need to walk alongside that man and help him navigate, what are the triggers for that? How can we walk alongside with you and have accountability to where we can help you be successful to conquer that?” he said. “And for the child, man, they’ve faced a lot of stuff. Some of it has been … because the parents are trying to figure out how to handle that. And so that child needs to know that they’re loved, that they’re cared for, and that blame that they might feel, that shame that they might feel, we need to help them navigate that. I want to help them see their identity isn’t just in sexuality or a gender, their identity is beyond that.”

“You’ve gotta walk with people, life is hard,” he said. “And so, you want to keep going with them for the long haul … as well as walking through what the Bible says.”

YW staff would consider it a domestic violence situation, Rychlicki said, and ask the mother to fill out an intake form, meet with a case manager and staff could serve as advocates during her time in court, offer food from the nonprofit’s pantry and help manage a safety plan.

“We’re going to meet them where they are,” Wheeler said, explaining that they wouldn’t dispense advice such as get a divorce. “We are there as a support. We’re not necessarily dictating or putting conditions on how they have to act in order to receive our services or engage with us.”

While it’s true that each agency has its own level of expertise, they do often collaborate on a case, which Hill often initiates as part of his job as coordinator, he said. A case may go before SPOA, and then to GLOW OUT! For one portion and to Restore for another need. He gave an example of when there’s an attempted suicide.

“There’s agencies that are automatically activated when certain things happen,” he said.

Trisha Reynolds, program coordinator of Justice for Children Advocacy Center, facilitated the panel and said it was a big help for all the key players to get to know one another to “make sure we’re coordinating services.” After all, the theme of the day for the more than 100 people in attendance was about healing the community through awareness.

“So that people in the community know what's out there for them. Everybody knows that there's mental health. Everybody knows about substance abuse treatment, UConnect. But then there's some other resources that we felt like maybe people wouldn't be so aware of … especially like youth detective. I mean, people hear police, they think they're just out to arrest, but they can offer so many other services and support groups and all kinds of things,” Reynolds said. “So I think we just wanted people in the community to be aware that if you find yourself as victim of a crime, there are a multitude of community agencies out there to help you.”

Joseph Robinson of the District Attorney’s Office had the job of summarizing all of the day’s presenters. Now in his sixth year with the office, he has handled domestic violence cases — “cases with people who are in the most vulnerable position in their life” — he said.

He wasn’t going to do that alone, and relied “heavily” on county agencies like those that were just up on stage, he said.

“Back then, I didn’t even know about all the other agencies involved with this, and they really helped me be able to connect with the victims, make sure the victims were heard, and that what the victims were looking for was something we took into consideration during these cases,” Robinson said. “Like the sheriff said earlier, a lot of the criminal justice system is focused on holding the offender accountable. But that’s not the only thing we do. We listen to the victims, and we make sure they’re heard in the courtroom, whether it be in the plea we offer or giving them the chance to speak at sentencing, so that they know their voice is heard, not just to us but to the courts.

“And when it comes to holding that person accountable. My job, without having the victim feel safe, feel like they can talk to us, we have no case,” he said. “These victims aren’t on their own. They don’t need to handle this on their own, there are numerous agencies out here to help them, the community is here to help them, and it really does take a village for these people to get thought he situation, to feel safe again.”

Photos by Howard Owens

crime victims seminar 2025
Samantha Rychlicki of YWCA, right, answers a question during the panel Monday
Photo by Howard Owens
crime victims seminar 2025
Trisha Reynolds of Justice for Children Advocacy Center
Photo by Howard Owens
crime victims seminar 2025
Zack Dawson of Grace Baptist Church.
crime victims seminar 2025
Bobbie Steinhauer of Restore Sexual Assault Services.
crime victims seminar 2025
Batavia Police Youth Detective Eric Hill.
crime victims seminar 2025
Jacquelyn Wheeler and Samantha Rychlicki of YWCA.
crime victims seminar 2025
Joseph Robinson of the county District Attorney's Office gives closing remarks for Criminal Justice Day on Monday.

Crime victims encouraged to exercise most important right: talk about it

By Joanne Beck

Voices of crime victims need to be heard, though they’re often relegated to darkened silence, Theresa Roth says.

“I think that the theme is here, centering on elevating voices, is very, very important because crime often happens in private, behind closed doors,” said Roth, program coordinator for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center, during a recent Genesee County meeting.

The meeting of legislators was to recognize various efforts throughout the county and across the country in April, and this week shines a light on crime victims’ rights.

Legislator Gary Maha read a related  proclamation that states:

WHEREAS, the term victim is more than just a label and has legal standing and protections that go along with it; and

WHEREAS, crime victims’ rights acts passed here in New York and at the federal level guarantee victims the right to meaningfully participate in the criminal justice process; and

WHEREAS, victim service providers, advocates, law enforcement officers, attorneys, and other allied professionals can help survivors find their justice by enforcing these rights; and

WHEREAS, victim service providers and allied professionals can reach more victims through innovative, trauma-informed programs, such as telehealth services and multidisciplinary teams; and

WHEREAS, victim service providers and allied professionals can increase access to victim services and compensation in areas that have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality by implementing culturally responsive services; and

WHEREAS, equity and inclusion are fundamental prerequisites to survivor care, and survivor-led services that provide victims with opportunities to share their experiences are essential blueprints for support; and

WHEREAS, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week provides an opportunity to recommit to ensuring that accessible, appropriate, and trauma-informed services are offered to all victims of crime; and

WHEREAS, Genesee County is hereby dedicated to helping crime survivors find their justice by enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services, and ensuring equity and inclusion for all. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Genesee County Legislature proclaims the week of April 23-29, 2023 Crime Victims’ Rights Week in Genesee County.

Diana Prinzi of Genesee Justice said that the most important thing her agency can do first is to “let their voices be heard.” And then to take the crucial steps to help victims begin to heal.

“We work with all of our community members trying to make them whole again. And let them know that we care and provide the services they need to repair the harm that was done to them,” she said. “And we appreciate all the community members that assist with that, our other agencies we partner with, multidisciplinary teams we work with. We couldn’t do it alone.”

County Legislator Gary Maha and Diana Prinzi flank Theresa Roth as she talks about the importance of elevating victims' voices during a recent meeting that recognized Crime Victims Rights Week and other efforts that are part of April. Photo by Joanne Beck.

County announces Crime Victim's week seminar at GCC on April 24

By Press Release

Press release:

Each year in April, the Office for Victims of Crime helps lead communities throughout the country in its annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), which will be observed April 23- 29, 2023. This year’s theme is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.”.

In Genesee County, the annual observance will include an event open to the public on April 24, 2023 from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at Genesee Community College. It will feature a morning full of presentations and speakers on various topics, including those surrounding crime victims' rights. It will be held inside the Conable Technology Building (Room T102) at Genesee Community College, 1 College Road, Batavia, NY.

The cost is $10 per person or $5 per student or senior (age 62+). Register by April 14, 2023 by calling Sharon Burns at 585-344-2550 ext 3929 or emailing sharon.burns@co.genesee.ny.us for registration details.

Speakers:

Opening Remarks
- Joseph Graff: Chief Deputy, Genesee County Sheriff’s Office

Keynote Speaker

- Janine Latus: an award-winning journalist, author and advocate, best known for her memoir, If I Am Missing or Dead: a sister’s story of love, murder and liberation, but Latus has had a long career of satisfying curiosity – her own and her readers’. Her work has appeared in O, the Oprah magazine, More, Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Parents, All You, American Baby and the inflight magazines for US Air, American Airlines, Continental and TWA.

Elder Abuse 101

- Stephanie Good: Helpline Coordinator for the Elder Abuse Helpline for Concerned Persons, Lifespan of Greater Rochester

- Sue Talsania: Elder Abuse Prevention Program (EAPP), Upstate Elder Abuse Center at Lifespan Bullying in Schools

  • -  Officer Miah Stevens: School Resource Officer, City of Batavia Police Department

  • -  Deputy Jordan Alejandro: School Resource Officer, Genesee County Sheriff’s Office

  • -  Detective Eric Hill: Detective, City of Batavia Police Department

    Closing Remarks

- Robert Zickl: Assistant District Attorney, Genesee County District Attorney’s Office

Thank you to our sponsors: Genesee Community College; Grace Baptist Church; GCC Criminal Justice Club and Student Activities; Batavia City Police Benevolent Association, Inc.; Genesee County Interagency Council; GCASA; Hotel at Batavia Downs; YWCA of Genesee County, Inc.; Cakes by Lili; Genesee County Deputy Sheriff’s Association; Genesee County Sheriff's Employees Association; My-T Acres, Inc.; Our Lady of Batavia Knights of Columbus; Polish Falcons of America Nest 493; Triple-O Mechanical, Inc.

Crime Victims' Rights Week: Committee planning discussion of 1987 crash that claimed four lives in Pembroke

By Howard B. Owens

Crime Victims' Rights Week in Genesee County will be commemorated April 7-13 with a special presentation at Genesee Community College from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, April 8, examining a fatal car accident that has become a key part of Genesee County history.

"Honoring Our Past. Creating Hope for the Future" will look back on a 1987 head-on collision that took the lives of three students in Pembroke and their driver's education instructor.

The panel for the discussion includes: 

  • Sheriff's Office Crash Scene Investigator -- Judge James Orr
  • Prosecuting District Attorney -- Judge Robert C. Noonan
  • Pembroke School teacher -- Gregory Kinal
  • Family members: Deputy Patrick Reeves

Reeves is the brother of Rhonda Reeves, who was 17 the day a car driven by Lyndon Goodell, then 23, hit the car she and her classmates were in. Also killed were students Eric Hamm-Johnson, Mindy Beals, and 55-year-old instructor Patrick Collins.

Goodell, a Batavia resident who had already served a stint in prison for burglary, was eventually convicted of manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter. He was sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison.

A wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the victims' families found Goodell and his passenger, Carol Rokicki Elder, equally at fault. Rokicki Elder gave Goodell the keys to her car and the bottle of whiskey that they shared.

In next month's presentation, the impact of the trauma will be discussed and details will be shared about how those involved were able to work through the heartbreak and also make positive changes for the future.

The cost to attend is $10; students and seniors pay $5. Make checks out to: Genesee Justice (You can write Criminal Justice Day 2019 in the memo line.)

To attend this event, mail payment by April 1 along with your name, address, city, state, Zip code, phone # and email address.

Mail to:

Genesee Justice
14 W. Main St.
Batavia, NY 14020

For more details or questions, contact Holly McAllister, of Genesee Justice, at 344-2550, ext. 3929, or email her at:   Holly.McAllister@co.genesee.ny.us

Click here for a PDF registration form.

Photo: Crime victim's week committee: Bob Riccobon, Sue Gagne, Gregory Kinal, Catherine Uhley, Kimberly Perl, Judge Robert Noonan, Undersheriff Brad Mazur, Rosanne DeMare, Assistant Chief (Batavia PD) Todd Crossett, and Deputy Patrick Reeves.

For previous coverage of the event planned April 8, 2019, click here.

Case study of 1987 Pembroke DWI tragedy to be focus of GC Criminal Justice Day April 8

By Billie Owens

"Honoring Our Past. Creating Hope for the Future." -- Theme for 2019 National Crime Victims' Rights Week, April 7-13

Genesee County Criminal Justice Day will focus on "A Case Study of the 1987 Pembroke School DWI Tragedy."

The case study will be presented from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, April 8, at Genesee Community College in Room T102 of the Conable Technology Building.

On June 10, 1987, an automobile accident killed three Pembroke High School students and their driver-education teacher while they were participating in a hands-on driving exercise on Route 5 in Pembroke. Killed at the scene were Rhonda Reeves, Eric Hamm-Johnson, Mindy Beals -- all 17, and 55-year-old instructor Patrick Collins, who died several hours later.

They were struck head on when Lyndon Goodell, 23, drove recklessly on the wrong side of the road while intoxicated. A wrongful-death lawsuit filed later by the victms' families found Goodell and his passenger, Carol Rokicki Elder, equally at fault. Rokicki Elder gave Goodell the keys to her car and the bottle of whiskey that they shared.

Goodell was convicted in a jury trial in August 1988 of manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter and several traffic infractions. A month later, Genesee County Judge Glenn R. Morton sentenced Goodell to 7 1/2 to 15 years in state prison.

The wrongful-death suit settlement totaled $340,000 for all four victims, paid out by auto and homeowners insurance companies, including $40,000 from the auto insurance company for Pembroke schools. The sum was considered the maximum obtainable in light of insurance coverage the parties had in effect.

The tragic episode struck the heart of the small Pembroke community.

In next month's presentation, the impact of the trauma will be discussed and details will be shared about how those involved were able to work through the heartbreak and also make positive changes for the future.

This case study will offer different perspectives, including:

  • Sheriff's Office Crash Scene Investigator -- Judge James Orr
  • Prosecuting District Attorney -- Judge Robert C. Noonan
  • Pembroke School teacher -- Gregory Kinal
  • Family members: Deputy Patrick Reeves -- brother; and Patricia Reeves -- mother

Bonita Frazer (MS, CTS, FAAETS) will wrap up the day with a presentation on the topic of trauma and its impact on a community.

Cost to attend is $10; students and seniors pay $5. Make checks out to: Genesee Justice (You can write Criminal Justice Day 2019 in the memo line.)

To attend this event, mail payment by April 1 along with your name, address, city, state, Zip code, phone # and email address.

Click here for a PDF registration form.

Mail to:

Genesee Justice

14 W. Main St.

Batavia, NY 14020

For more details or questions, contact Holly McAllister, of Genesee Justice, at 344-2550, ext. 3929, or email her at:   Holly.McAllister@co.genesee.ny.us

Elder abuse education, prevention and resources is topic of Criminal Justice Day forum April 3 at GCC

By Billie Owens

Information from a press release:

The topic for Criminal Justice Day 2017, during National Crime Victims' Rights Week, is "Education, Prevention & Resources for Older Adults." A forum on this subject will take place on Monday, April 3, at the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College in Batavia. It runs from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the campus is located at 1 College Road, Batavia.

Cost to attend is $10 per person, or $5 for students. Seniors 60 and older get in free.

According to the event organizers, abuse of older adults occurs in many different ways: physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, as well as financial exploitation in the form of forgery, scams and credit card or property theft.

The forum will explore the various facets of elder abuse, the signs of abuse, and provide strategies and resources in preventing abuse, along with where to go for help and how to proceed after an individual has been victimized.

Perpectives will be shared by representatives from the the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Genesee County District Attorney's Office, Secret Service, Lifespan, Genesee County Office for the Aging, Ombudsman Program, Genesee Justice, Department of Social Services as well as a local senior citizen organization president.

National Crime Victims' Rights Week provides a time of national remembrance for crime victims and survivors in order to raise awareness about the rights and needs of crime victims; the challenges that victims face in seeking help and hope in the aftermath of crime; and the positive impact that we can all have in providing services and support to victims and survivors of crime.

The theme of "Strength. Resilience. Justice." reflects this vision of the future, one in which all victims are strengthened by the response they receive, organizations are resilient to challenges, and communities are able to seek collective justice and healing.

In addition to the aforementioned participants and GCC, the event is also presented by these partners: Batavia City Police, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA), Genesee County Youth Bureau, Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans County, and YWCA of Genesee County.

To RSVP, make checks payable to GCASA, and mail by Monday, March 27 to: GCASA, 430 E. Main St., Batavia NY 14020.

Include your name, address, city, state, Zip code, phone, and email address.

For questions regarding registration, call 343-1124 or email Diane Klos at  dklos@gcasa.org      (FAX is 585-343-9622)

Crime victims remembered in annual walk

By Press Release

Photos by Howard Owens, story by Jeff Donahue, WBTA.

Genesee Justice held its Annual Celebration of Survivors at the Old County Courthouse Friday evening. Genesee County Legislator Marianne Clattenburg presented a Legislative Proclamation to Theresa Asmus-Roth, program coordinator of Genesee Justice.

The keynote speaker was retired Genesee County Court Judge Robert Noonan, who reflected on how victim services have changed over the years.

Noonan also spoke on the many cases he had been involved in over the years, including the Lynden Goodell drunken driving case back in the late 1980s.

Ellen Bachorski, president of the Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden, presented a multicolored ribbon symbolizing the different kinds of abuse suffered by crime victims, which participants carried on their walk from the Old Courthouse to the Peace Garden.

The crime victims Service Award was presented to the members of the Genesee County District Attorney's Office and the Katheryn Seymour Memorial Award was presented to Cynthia Richmond for her courage in identifying a man who attempted to break into her home.

UPCOMING: Crime Victims' Rights Week, Ceremonial Walk for Victims, Criminal Justice Day at college with event on unintended victims of opioid scourge

By Billie Owens

This information was provided by Sue Gagne, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans Counties:

National Crime Victims' Rights Week is April 10-16. Communities nationwide, aided by the Office for Victims of Crime, will hold observances. This year's theme is "Serving Victims. Building Trust. Restoring Hope" and the aim is to underscore the importance of early intervention and using victim services in establishing trust with victims in order to begin to restore their hope for healing and recovery.

In Genesee County, starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 15, there will be a Ceremoninal Walk and Reception at the Old County Courthouse (Downtown Batavia at the corner of routes 5 and 63). For more information, call Theresa at 344-2550, ext. 3920.

Prior to that date is Criminal Justice Day, Tuesday, April 12, and there will be a half-day event at Genesee Community College titled "The Opiate Epidemic: The Unintended Victims." It runs from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Conable Technology Center, 1 College Road, Batavia.

Cost to attend is $10 per person; $5 for students. Seating is limited; first come, first served. Registration forms are due by April 4. Checks should be made payable to the Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans Counties. For more information, call 344-2611.

According to the event brochure, heroin use has increased across the United States among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels. Some of the greatest increases occured in deomgraphic groups with historically low rates of heroin use -- women, the privately insured, and people with higher incomes.

Nor only are people using heroin more than ever, they are also abusing multiple other substances, especially cocaine and prescription opioid painkillers.

Law enforcement officials say history teaches that American society can't arrest its way out of the drug problems it faces. While effective enforcement is esstantial to protecting cities and neighborhoods, reducing drug use requires a broader, multidimensional approach.

Scientists say that it is clear that addiction is a progressive disease of the brain that can be prevented and treated and recovery is possible.

In addition to the college, the event on opioid addiction and its unintended victims is presented by these 2016 Criminal Justice Day partners:

  • Batavia Police Department
  • Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA)
  • GC District Attorney's Office
  • GC Sheriff's Office
  • GC Youth Bureau
  • Genesee Justice
  • Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans Counties
  • RESTORE Sexual Assault Services
  • YWCA of Genesee County 

Keynote speakers are Mike Covert, police chief of Cooperstown, and Alexis Pleus, a structural engineer and mother of three sons who lost her oldest son to a heroin overdose in 2014.

Under Covert's leadership, the police department made a "revolutionary change" in the way it responds to the opiate crisis. He implemented an initiative last Thanskgiving called PAARI -- Police Assisting Addicts Toward Recovery Initiative. It allows addicts to walk into the Cooperstown Police Station with drug paraphernalia or drugs to ask for help and not be charged with a crime. Instead, they are walked through the system toward detox and recovery with the assistance of an assigned "ANGEL" who guides them through the process -- not in hours or days but on the spot. Since its implementation, 45 people have enrolled in the program.

Pleus has used her experience with addiction and the stigma she faced to start an organization called Truth Pharm, which works to raise awareness, reduce the stigma, implement programs, and advocate for policies that have a profound impact on the opioid epidemic.

The day's agenda is as follows:

8:15 to 8:45  -- Registration

8:45 to 9  -- Flag Raising

9 to 9:15 -- Welcome and Introductions

9:15 to 10:15 -- Keynote Speakers

10:15 to 10:30 -- Break

10:30 to 11:45 -- Panel Discussion: Impact on the Community

11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. -- Pharmacology of Opiates 

Closing

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