Victim Support

University police officers are committed to developing, implementing and continuing victim/witness services. It is our goal to build a strong rapport between law enforcement professionals and those in our community who have been directly affected by crime.

Crime Victim's Liaison

The Community Engagement supervisor is designated to establish and maintain a positive working relationship between our agency and the Texas Attorney General's Office regarding victim/witness assistance programs. Call 210-458-4242 for assistance.

Your Rights as a Crime Victim in Texas

You have legal rights and protections as a crime victim in Texas (Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 56A, Rights of Crime Victims). We can help you understand these rights. Take your time reviewing this information. Save it and come back later when needed.

Who Has These Rights?

These rights protect you if you:

• Are a victim of sexual assault, family violence, stalking, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, human trafficking, or the victim of certain protective order or bond condition violations
• Have suffered personal injury from a crime
• Have lost a loved one to crime (as their spouse, parent, adult sibling or child)
• Are the guardian of a crime victim
• Are a victim of juvenile crime (including property crimes)

Your Rights to Safety and Protection

Your safety is our top priority. If you're worried about your safety, tell law enforcement or prosecutors immediately about your concerns. They are here to help protect you.

You have the right to:

• Receive protection from harm or threats because you're working with law enforcement and prosecutors
• Have judges consider your safety when setting bail for the defendant
• If requested, your employer will be informed that your testimony is needed and may require missing work. This is your legal right, and prosecutors can help communicate with your employer.

NOTE: If you choose to attend court proceedings (with the judge's consent), you can request a separate waiting area (if available) away from the defendant for your comfort and safety.

Your Rights to Information and Updates

You can stay informed throughout the process. While attending court proceedings is your choice, not a requirement, you have the right to know what's happening in your case.

You can request the following:

• Be informed about court proceedings, including schedule changes
• Learn about criminal investigations and how bail works
• Understand plea agreements, restitution and appeals
• Receive updates about parole hearings and the defendant's release
• Get information about the Texas Crime Victims' Compensation Fund
• For victims of sexual assault, you can get information about sexual assault exam reimbursement and Emergency Medical Care compensation
• Be referred to social services for additional support

Your Rights to Participate in the Justice Process

Your voice matters in the justice process. You can actively participate in several ways:

• Attend public court proceedings (with the judge's consent)
• Share how the crime has impacted you before sentencing through a victim impact statement
• Submit information for consideration before parole decisions
• Have your victim impact statement considered before:
  • Sentencing
  • Plea bargain acceptance
  • Inmate release on parole
• Request victim-offender mediation through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Your Rights to Support Services

We understand that recovery and healing take time. Support services are available to help you through this process. You have the right to:

• Get your property back promptly when it's no longer needed as evidence
• Request counseling and testing for AIDS/HIV (particularly for sexual assault victims)
• Have a victim advocate present during a sexual assault exam (if available)
• Get reimbursement for sexual assault medical examinations

Questions and Concerns

If you have questions or concerns about your rights, contact the Community Engagement section supervisor at 210-458-4242 or the Texas Attorney General's Office regarding victim/witness assistance programs.

The Texas Attorney General’s Crime Victims’ Compensation (CVC) program helps victims and their families with crime-related costs after a violent crime. If you are eligible, you can seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses related to the crime.

CVC is available to offset expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred for:

• Medical, counseling, prescription and rehabilitation services
• Partial loss of earnings because of a disability resulting from the crime
• Limited childcare for minor children to enable a victim or spouse of a deceased victim to continue employment
• Funeral and burial costs
• Reasonable costs associated with crime scene cleanup
• Reasonable replacement for clothing, bedding or other property taken as evidence or rendered unusable because of the investigation
• Loss of wages and travel reimbursement due to participation in the investigation, prosecutorial and judicial processes
• Relocation expenses for certain victims of family violence or sexual violence

Public Safety's Community Engagement Unit will assist you in applying for benefits from and keep you updated throughout the process. Additionally, the CVC program works with collateral sources, such as insurance, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, court settlements, etc., to coordinate crime-related expenses and avoid duplicate payment. CVC is normally a payer of last resort.

Questions and concerns

If you have questions or concerns about your rights, contact the Community Engagement Unit supervisor at 210-458-4242, or the Texas Attorney General's Office regarding Crime Victims’ Compensation programs.

The Community Engagement Unit can assist victims of domestic violence in obtaining a protective order. For more information about protective orders, visit the Bexar County District Attorney's website.

Certain crime victims have the right to APPLY for an order of protection. If a family or household member assaults you and is arrested, you may request that an Emergency Protective Order be issued. Please inform the investigating officer on scene if you want one. You don’t need to be present when the order is issued. You cannot be charged a fee by a court for filing, serving, or entering any type of protective order.

The court can enter an order that:

1. Orders the person you filed against not to commit any violence against you.
2. Orders the person you filed against not to come within a certain distance of where you live, work and attend school.
3. Orders the person you filed against not to communicate with you in any manner that is threatening or harassing, whether by phone, mail or any electronic/online communication.
4. Orders the person you filed against to refrain from any harassing, threatening, annoying, alarming, abusing, tormenting or embarrassing behavior toward you.
5. Orders the person you filed against not to commit any of the above acts toward you or your household members.

A violation could be a felony charge for the abuser.

What is an Emergency Protective Order (EPO)?

If the abuser is arrested, the magistrate may grant an EPO upon arraignment. The order can include items above and is valid for 31 to 91 days. It will be mandatory that the order be granted if there is serious bodily injury or if a weapon was used during the assault. The order can be enforced by the police if it is violated.

What is a Protective Order (PO)?

A Protective Order is issued by the Bexar County family court and can include items stated above. You can apply for a PO with the Bexar County District Attorney’s office or in the county where you live. If you are getting divorced, your private attorney must assist you in filing a PO. If granted, the PO is good for two years or more, and violations are enforceable by law enforcement.

The PO can deter violence and provide law enforcement and the courts additional authority to intervene, but it is not a shield that automatically stops the next violent act from happening.

What is a Temporary Ex Parte Order?

This order is issued upon completion of the application for a Protective Order. This order may include items 1-5 above and is valid for 20 days. This order is enforceable by law enforcement under certain circumstances.

What is a Restraining Order?

This order is a civil order issued against a non-family member to prevent a person from engaging in certain behaviors. Such as contacting the complainant or going to certain places, etc. This order is valid only for the period specified in the Order and is NOT enforceable by law enforcement.

Questions?

If you have questions or concerns about your rights, contact the Community Engagement Unit supervisor at 210-458-4242, or the Texas Attorney General's Office regarding Crime Victims’ Compensation programs.

PEACE Center

The PEACE Center advocates have the unique ability to support survivors at all stages of the healing process by promoting values that validate, believe, support, and empower. Our comprehensive services address physical, emotional, academic and employment-related needs. We can assist clients in navigating a variety of systems to understand their rights and options, enabling informed decisions when seeking justice and healing.

If you are experiencing personal turmoil during this process, UT San Antonio offers different options to help you in a comfortable and confidential setting.

Counseling Center

The Wellness 360 counseling center provides short-term individual counseling, group counseling and psychiatry. They offer urgent and crisis walk-in services during business hours, and a 24-hour crisis line is available at 210-458-4140.

Students can access additional mental health support through TimelyCare, an accessible mental health resource at UT San Antonio. You can download the app to access on-demand emotional support, counseling appointments and more.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The AllOne Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a free service provided to UT San Antonio benefits-eligible employees and their dependents. The EAP offers a wide variety of counseling, referral and consultation services, which are designed to assist in resolving work or life issues to live more balanced lives. Services are completely confidential and can be easily accessed by calling the toll-free helpline. AllOne Health services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.