Asheville Police Department

Victim Services

The Victim Services Unit of the Asheville Police Department offers crisis intervention and support services to victims of crime. The Victim Services Coordinator is genuinely concerned about the well-being of crime victims and is available to talk about the incident and to assist victims in finding community resources to aid in their healing process. Available resources for victims of violent crime include an assessment of their needs and specific referrals to the agencies that can assist them in meeting those needs.  Some crime victims, referred to the North Carolina Victim Assistance Network, are eligible for financial compensation for medical bills and lost wages.  Referrals are also made to victim advocate agencies for counseling, legal, financial and social service purposes. 

Older Adult Victim Services

Older Adult Victim Services is a special program for crime victims who are 60 years of age or older and/or victims who are disabled. The Older Adult Victim Advocate offers comfort, investigative information and appropriate referrals to members of the older adult and disabled community.  The Older Adult Victim Advocate sometimes makes personal visits to victims in their homes, nursing homes and or hospitals when the circumstances require it.

Although the elderly represent a very small percentage of violent crime victims (less than 2% nationwide), they suffer more severe effects from the experience. Physical injuries from which a younger person would quickly recover may send the elderly person to a hospital or nursing home. Psychological trauma can cause the victim to significantly withdraw from activities and can hamper their enjoyment of an active lifestyle. Persons on pensions and/or Social Security do not always have the financial resources to recoup monetary losses or replace damaged or stolen possessions. The Asheville Police Department is sensitive to these problems and hopes that special attention to the needs of the elderly will ease the trauma of victimization.

If a crime is reported by an older adult or disabled person, that person will automatically be contacted by a member of the Victim Services Unit.  However, anyone can request the advocate’s help in assessing the need for assistance or in seeking referral information.

The Victim Services Unit is open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. 


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