Victim Assistance Information
The services available to victims is unique to each situation and individual. Recovery after being the victim of a crime takes both time and the support of others. Services needed may include, safety planning, crisis intervention, criminal justice information, counseling referral, information on the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) program, property return assistance, and/or referrals to additional services. The Culver City Police Department is here to help and aims to connect victims with information that will aid in recovery and healing.
Victim's Bill of Rights
Under Marsy’s Law, the California Constitution article I, § 28, section (b) now provides victims with the following enumerated rights:
- To be treated with fairness and respect for his or her privacy and dignity, and to be free from intimidation, harassment, and abuse, throughout the criminal or juvenile justice process.
- To be reasonably protected from the defendant and persons acting on behalf of the defendant.
- To have the safety of the victim and the victim’s family considered in fixing the amount of bail and release conditions for the defendant.
- To prevent the disclosure of confidential information or records to the defendant, the defendant’s attorney, or any other person acting on behalf of the defendant, which could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim’s family, or which disclose confidential communications made in the course of medical or counseling treatment, or which are otherwise privileged or confidential by law.
- To refuse an interview, deposition, or discovery request by the defendant, the defendant’s attorney, or any other person acting on behalf of the defendant, and to set reasonable conditions on the conduct of any such interview to which the victim consents.
- To reasonable notice of and to reasonably confer with the prosecuting agency, upon request, regarding, the arrest of the defendant if known by the prosecutor, the charges filed, the determination whether to extradite the defendant, and, upon request, to be notified of and informed before any pretrial disposition of the case.
- To reasonable notice of all public proceedings, including delinquency proceedings, upon request, at which the defendant and the prosecutor are entitled to be present and of all parole or other post-conviction release proceedings, and to be present at all such proceedings.
- To be heard, upon request, at any proceeding, including any delinquency proceeding, involving a post-arrest release decision, plea, sentencing, post-conviction release decision, or any proceeding in which a right of the victim is at issue.
- To a speedy trial and a prompt and final conclusion of the case and any related post-judgment proceedings.
- To provide information to a probation department official conducting a pre-sentence investigation concerning the impact of the offense on the victim and the victim’s family and any sentencing recommendations before the sentencing of the defendant.
- To receive, upon request, the pre-sentence report when available to the defendant, except for those portions made confidential by law.
- To be informed, upon request, of the conviction, sentence, place and time of incarceration, or other disposition of the defendant, the scheduled release date of the defendant, and the release of or the escape by the defendant from custody.
- To restitution.
- To the prompt return of property when no longer needed as evidence.
- To be informed of all parole procedures, to participate in the parole process, to provide information to the parole authority to be considered before the parole of the offender, and to be notified, upon request, of the parole or other release of the offender.
- To have the safety of the victim, the victim’s family, and the general public considered before any parole or other post-judgment release decision is made.
- To be informed of the rights enumerated in paragraphs (1) through (16).
VINE Program
The Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) is a notification system that allows survivors, victims of crime, and other concerned citizens to access timely and reliable information of the custody status and criminal case information.
To check custody status information visit vinelink.com or call 1-877-VINE-4-LA (1-877-846-3452) and follow the prompts. You will then use basic information to search the VINE database. VINE will quickly tell the caller if the inmate is still in custody and provide custody location.
You may then choose to register to receive automated notifications via email, text, or phone call when an inmate's custody status change.
VINE is a notification system only, if you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Request a Copy of a Police Report
You can request a copy of a police report from the Records Unit by email, phone, or in person. To learn more about how to obtain a copy of a report you can find contact information below and view our Records Unit page.
Records Unit Contact Information
(310) 253-6119
policerecords@culvercity.org (monitored 24/7)
To request a copy of a police report in person, please visit the Police Records Unit during regular business, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.
4040 Duquesne Avenue
Culver City, California 90232
Victim Compensation
The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) provides compensation to victims and their families after all available reimbursement and recovery sources are used, including medical insurance, disability insurance, employer benefits and civil suits.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Residency
Must be a California resident at the time of crime, or a non-resident victimized in California
WHO MAY QUALIFY:
Direct Victim
A direct victim is the individual who is the victim of a qualifying crime. Sometimes a witness to a crime is considered a direct victim.
Derivative Victim
A derivative victim is an individual with a relationship to a direct victim who has expenses or needs services because that person's injury or death. This can be a spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandchild, grandparent, domestic partner, roommate or caretaker of a minor victim, after the crime.
WHAT CRIMES ARE COVERED:
Assault with a deadly weapon, battery, child abuse, child sexual assault, child endangerment and abandonment, domestic violence, driving under the influence, elder abuse, hate crimes, homicide, human trafficking, hit and run, kidnapping, murder, online harassment, rape, robbery, sexual assault, stalking, sexual battery, terrorism, vehicular manslaughter, other crimes that result in physical injury or a threat of physical injury to the victim.
For more information call CalVCB at 1-800-777-9229 or visit www.victims.ca.gov.
Resources
Santa Monica Courthouse
1725 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 255-1840
LA Court Self-Help Center Online Resources