Hope Cards Come to Fairfax County as Domestic Violence Awareness Month Begins

As we honor October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Fairfax County Police Department in partnership with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and other community partners have joined more than 5 dozen jurisdictions in Virginia in offering the Hope card to victims of domestic violence who have obtained longer term protective orders.

The free laminated, wallet-sized Hope card is a new way of enforcement of protection orders and a new resource for victims of family abuse. While it is not a substitute for a protective order, Hope cards are a more durable means for victims of domestic violence to provide information about their existing order to law enforcement. The Hope Card can reduce the time on scene for officers responding to incidents of protection order violations, allow our officers to verify if there is a valid protective order in place and can provide a sense of security to victims. It will also assist in officer safety by informing law enforcement about weapons involved in the incident resulting in a protective order. The Hope Card is intended as a more convenient way for people who have permanent 12 month or longer protective orders to always keep relevant information about their orders with them.

For more information on the Hope Card, you can contact the Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division main line at 703-246-2141, the Fairfax County Domestic Violence Action Center at 703-236-4573, or contact the statewide Hope Card Program Coordinator, Jaime Clemmer, at jclemmer@vacourts.gov.

Information about obtaining a protective order in Fairfax County can be found here.

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