Rosana Conforme Campuzano testifies for Violence Intervention Program
Deputy Executive Director of VIP, a Latine survivor-led organization, describes 5,000 helpline calls and 3,500 survivors served annually. She supports placing NGBV with OCS but demands survivor voices shape strategy and that NGBV receive resources and leadership role.
Chairperson Farias and the members of the Committee on Women and Gender Equity.
My name is Dr.
Rosana Conforme Campuzano, and I'm the Deputy Executive Director of Programs at the Violence Intervention Program, also known as VIP.
VIP is a member of the NGBV Advisory Council and is the only organization in New York City led by and for Latine survivors of domestic and sexual violence with a mission to end abuse.
Every year we field over 5,000 calls to our helpline and our culturally specific programs serve over 3,500 survivors and children.
We mainly serve single immigrant mothers of color, many living on less than $15,000 a year.
Many survivors in our communities face economic and cultural barriers and distrust law enforcement, making it harder for them to report gender-based violence.
That's why VIP launched a restorative justice program to offer a different path for survivors, a path rooted in community accountability, healing, and repair beyond the carceral system.
For this reason, we were thrilled to hear Mayor Mandani's announcement of the Office of Community Safety because his vision reflects what survivors and community organizations long called for,
which is a shift away from over-reliance on law enforcement as a primary response to interpersonal and community violence.
We deeply believe that placing NGVV with OCS can lead to innovative community-led strategies and elevate survivor leadership.
But survivors and organizations they trust must help shape the work from the start.
Community safety cannot be built for survivors without survivors at the table.
So we are city council.
administration to include survivor voices in organizations like VAP and OCS strategy planning and to give NGBV the resources supporting leadership role needed so that OCS can achieve its ambitious goal.
As Domestic Violence Awareness Month begins tomorrow, we invite Mary Mandani, Deputy Mayor Francois, and the leadership at OCS to spotlight this issue.
We ask the mayor to use his significant media presence to showcase the administration's stance against gender-based violence and to uplift NGBV as a mission-critical part of OCS.
VIP is excited, ready, and willing to partner with the administration and city council to create the answers that survivors need and deserve.
Thank you very much.