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 White Plains, NY - Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore released the 2007 Annual Report of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
The 29 page report outlines the accomplishments and initiatives of the District Attorney’s office in 2007, along with setting goals for 2008 and looking forward to expanding upon the programs that have been implemented over the last two years.
“The District Attorney’s office is continuing to evolve from a traditional, reactive law enforcement agency, focusing solely on the prosecution of criminals, to a proactive, forward-thinking office addressing public safety needs by focusing on the many forces that drive crime in our communities,” said District Attorney Janet DiFiore.
This years Annual Report documents the continuing success the DA’s office has achieved in fulfilling its mission of enhanced and sustained public safety in Westchester County.
By the numbers, in 2007, the office’s efforts have yielded impressive results: prosecutorial efforts resulted in a 97% felony conviction rate, one of the highest in the state, and our, affirmance rate on appeals was even higher - over 99%.
Additional highlights of this year’s report are:
Collaboration: The DA’s office has worked hard to forge solid strategic alliances with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, the courts, and victim advocate and community groups.
The aggressive prosecution of violent felonies and investigations targeting gangs, narcotics and firearms.
The Child Fatality Review Team released three public reports with the goal of educating parents of young children to the dangers of co-sleeping.
Seeking to enhance our ability to prosecute important cases, the DA’s office successfully proposed important legislation in the areas of human trafficking and online sexual predators.
The District Attorney agreed to chair the Westchester County Reentry Task Force, a collaboration among state, county and not-for-profit agencies that began its work in 2007. The Task Force coordinates supervision and services for reentrants and assists where gaps in services impede a successful return to the community and family.
The office continues to focus on the importance of new information technology, both updating the way our office conducts business and enhancing our ability to investigate increasingly sophisticated crimes. Working with local, state and federal colleagues, we put in place plans for the spring 2008 opening of the Westchester Intelligence Center. This state-of-the-art technologically advanced facility offers local police departments the opportunity to unify their crime-fighting efforts through shared intelligence and analysis.
“I am proud of our hard work and achievements in 2007 and we will continue to focus on driving down crime, enhancing public safety, and promoting fairness at every level of our criminal justice system, all with an eye to fiscal responsibility,” added District Attorney Janet DiFiore.
The full report is available in pdf format on our website at westchesterda.net.
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