Dedication of The Peaceful Place Garden

Parker County Attorney Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with dedication of The Peaceful Place Garden
The Parker County Attorney’s Office, in commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), April 18–24, 2021, is hosting a dedication of The Peaceful Place garden to raise awareness about crime victims’ issues and rights on Friday, April 23 at 11:00 a.m. The garden is located at the corner of Dallas and York Ave on the NE quadrant of Downtown Weatherford. We ask those attending to wear blue to honor crime victims during this important week.
“The garden is symbolic of healing and remembrance and we want to bring visibility to the victims,” Parker County Attorney John Forrest explained.  “The community sometimes forgets about the victims and even though justice is an important factor, this week is about drawing attention to the other aspect of being crime victim, the healing.  By getting the community involved, it helps stop the abuse from occurring in the first place.”
“We want to thank Alliance Materials, the Home Depot, Lowe’s and the Zonta Club of Parker County for their donations to the garden,” said Lisa Mehrhoff, Professional Victim Assistance Coordinator. “We also want to say thank you to the Parker County Master Gardeners, who helped design the space, as well as a thank you to others who initially came out and helped clear the area.”
The faces of crime victims are those of our family, friends, neighbors, and community members. According to the most recent National Crime Victimization Survey from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1.2 million people were victims of violent crime excluding simple assault in 2019, a significant decrease from the year before. Now is the time to redouble our efforts so that victimization continues to decline and fewer and fewer Parker County residents become victims of crime.
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of NCVRW by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme -- Support Victims. Build Trust. Engage Communities—celebrates the contributions that we all can make toward building trust in our community’s capacity to support the healing journeys of crime victims. Trust is collective as well as individual, so we are honoring both the individual victims in our community and the groups engaged in building networks of understanding and support.
For additional information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please contact the Parker County Attorney’s Office at 817-594-8409. For additional ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov.  
MISSION STATEMENT: The role of the Parker County Attorney’s office is to enhance public safety and welfare through the enforcement of criminal and civil laws of the State of Texas.  We seek to respect and protect all crime victims and create open communication and security within the community in the most efficient and ethical manner possible.