SENATE RESOLUTION

                             2000-8790

By Senators Costa, Spanel, Franklin, Rasmussen, Fraser, and Snyder

     WHEREAS, More than 31 million Americans were victimized by crime last year; and

     WHEREAS, Nearly 24,000 violent crimes were committed in Washington in 1998, including 220 murders,  2,785 rapes, 6,450 robberies and 14,443 aggravated assaults; and

     WHEREAS, The highest percentage of murder victims in Washington continues to be young adults, ages eighteen to twenty-four; and

     WHEREAS, Crime victims play an indispensable role in bringing offenders to justice; and

     WHEREAS, Victims of crime and their families deserve respect, restoration, rehabilitation, restitution and justice; and

     WHEREAS, The first Crime Victims Bill of Rights was adopted in 1980; and

     WHEREAS, America now has almost 30,000 federal and state laws relating to the rights and interests of crime victims, and more than 10,000 local programs to serve their needs; and    

     WHEREAS, Thirty-two states now provide for victims= rights in their state constitutions; and

     WHEREAS, Despite this significant progress in providing rights and services to crime victims during the past twenty years, large segments of our population including crime victims who are elderly, disabled, or living in rural areas are still under served; and

     WHEREAS, Crime does not concentrate in one specific area; it encompasses rape, murder, robbery, burglary, theft, violence, stalking, domestic and workplace violence, child abuse, vehicular assault, and, more recently, identity theft and cyberstalking; and

     WHEREAS, As a nation devoted to liberty and justice for all, America must increase its efforts to protect, restore and expand crime victims= rights and services; and

     WHEREAS, This year=s theme, AVictims= Rights 2000: Dare to Dream,@ can inspire communities to work to ensure that all crime victims in our state and across the nation receive the rights and services they need in order to rebuild their lives;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate, in its continued commitment to respect and enforce victims= rights and address their needs,  recognize that April 9 to 15, 2000 is National Crime Victims= Rights Week; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Washington Coalition of Crime Victim Advocates.

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 2000-8790,

adopted by the Senate April 4, 2000.

TONY M. COOK

Secretary of the Senate