Senator Andrew Lanza today encouraged New York’s domestic violence victims to register to receive alerts for when Family Court orders of protection are served through the Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification Network (SAVIN) system, which instantly notifies victims with information that is crucial to enhancing their safety. SAVIN uses the technology that powers NY-ALERT (www.nyalert.gov) to send notifications of service to domestic violence victims 24 hours a day, seven days a week via text message, e-mail, fax and automated phone call. SAVIN recently expanded to Manhattan and Staten Island with additional boroughs to be added in the coming months. It is available in all counties outside of New York City.

“The time immediately following when an order of protection is served can be the most dangerous for a victim of domestic violence,” Senator Lanza said. “But when armed with the technology that the SAVIN system provides, victims of domestic violence can receive timely notifications and take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their loved ones from further harm. I encourage victims to sign up for this service as soon as possible.”

The program serves as an example of how the State can partner with a not-for-profit organization to effectively and efficiently deliver services that will make a difference in people’s lives. The State partnered with the New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute to make the SAVIN system available in New York. The Sheriffs’ Association Institute received a $495,000 grant from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance to bring the SAVIN program to New York State and worked in partnership with the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Office of Victim Services, and the New York State Police among others to implement it.

Notifications are currently only available for orders of protection issued by Family Courts outside of New York City. The system is currently being piloted in Family Courts in Manhattan and Staten Island, in cooperation with the New York City Sheriff’s Office. The system is scheduled to be piloted in the remaining three boroughs – Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens – by early next year. The Sheriffs’ Association Institute also is exploring how the system can be expanded to include notification of orders of protection issued by criminal courts.

Individuals can register to receive SAVIN-NY alerts by visiting www.nyalert.gov and clicking on the “Orders of Protection” box on the left menu. When registering with SAVIN-NY, victims also can identify additional individuals to be notified when orders of protection are served, such as advocates, attorneys, friends or family members.

Additional information and frequently asked questions about the SAVIN program can be found at www.savin-ny.org.