Public safety debates often focus on police, prosecutors and courtrooms. But there is another critical pillar of safety that receives far less attention: the services that help victims escape violence, rebuild their lives and prevent trauma from repeating itself.
Today, that lifeline is under serious threat.
Across California, the organizations that support victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes are facing a growing funding crisis. These programs provide emergency shelter, trauma counseling, transportation for those fleeing abuse, legal assistance for restraining orders, and forensic medical exams after assault.
Without these services, many victims would have nowhere to turn.
Nearly one million Californians rely on victim service programs each year. For many survivors, these organizations are the first safe place they encounter after experiencing violence.
Yet the financial foundation supporting these programs is rapidly eroding.
For decades, the federal Victims of Crime Act — known as VOCA — has been the backbone of victim services nationwide. But significant declines in federal funding have created a growing gap that threatens programs across the state. Organizations are already warning that they may be forced to reduce services, lay off staff, or close entirely if additional support does not arrive.
If that happens, the consequences will not be abstract.
It will mean a survivor of assault cannot access the medical care needed to document the crime.
It will mean elderly victims of abuse are left isolated without support.
In short, when victim services disappear, public safety weakens with them.
Recognizing this danger, California stepped in last ear with a $100 million investment to stabilize victim service programs and prevent widespread closures. That funding helped keep essential services available for communities across the state.
But the underlying crisis remains unresolved.
Federal VOCA funding levels continue to fluctuate, while the need for victim services continues to grow. Domestic violence shelters remain full, trauma counseling programs report long waiting lists, and legal aid organizations are struggling to meet rising demand.
Without additional action, the safety net protecting victims will begin to unravel.
This is not simply a budget issue. It is a question of whether California will maintain the support systems that help victims move from crisis to recovery.
Public safety cannot be measured only by arrests and prosecutions. It must also be measured by whether victims have the resources they need to escape abuse, secure safety, and rebuild their lives.
When we invest in victim services, we strengthen communities, prevent further violence, and support survivors as they reclaim their futures. When we neglect them, we leave vulnerable people isolated at the very moment they need help most.
California has long prided itself on leadership and compassion. Protecting victims of crime should remain one of the clearest ways to demonstrate that commitment.
If we allow these programs to collapse, we will not simply be cutting a line in a budget. We will be abandoning the very people the justice system is supposed to protect.
Public safety does not end when a crime is reported. For victims, it is only the beginning of a long road toward recovery — one that California must ensure they do not have to walk alone.
Mihran Kalaydjian
Santa Clarita
