SAINT PAUL — Today, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon recognized six Minnesota crime victim organizations for their commitment and partnership with the Secretary of State’s Safe at Home address confidentiality program at an awards ceremony in St. Paul.
The Safe at Home program is designed to assist Minnesotans who wish to keep the location of their physical residence private for personal safety reasons, often because they are victims of domestic violence and stalking. The program has enrolled over 5,000 people since its creation in 2007.
The organizations recognized include 360 Communities, located in Eagan and Hastings; Alexandra House, in Blaine; Cornerstone Advocacy Service, in Bloomington; The Saint Paul and Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, in St. Paul; Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, which includes offices in Winona, Rochester, Mankato, and Worthington; and Victim Services for Dodge, Fillmore, and Olmsted counties.
“While traveling the state I’ve heard firsthand how the Safe at Home program has assisted thousands of Minnesotans since its inception, and helps to give peace of mind to victims of domestic violence and others who fear for their safety,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. “Today I’m proud to recognize these six organizations for their work promoting Safe at Home, assisting people who would like to enroll in the program, and for playing a critical role in protecting Minnesotans and their families.”
Secretary Simon also recognized 18 employees from these organizations for their work as Safe at Home Application Assistants. Application Assistants, employed by organizations like these throughout the state, are specially trained to assist people who would like to enroll in Safe at Home. A person who wants to enroll in Safe at Home meets face-to-face with an Application Assistant to discuss their safety concerns and the Application Assistant works with them to determine whether enrolling in Safe at Home is a good safety step for the person to take. There are currently over 230 trained Application Assistants throughout Minnesota.
Participants enrolled in the Safe at Home program use a post office box as their legal address for all purposes so they can go about their daily lives without risk of the persons they fear discovering their physical address. First class mail sent to the post office box is forwarded to the participant’s physical address by the Secretary of State.
Since taking office five months ago, Secretary Simon has successfully strengthened the Safe at Home program. His initiative to further protect victims of domestic violence was signed into law by the Governor last week on May 22, 2015. The bill, one of Secretary Simon’s top legislative priorities, provides a framework for courts to use when determining whether or not to order a Safe at Home participant to disclose their physical address. You can read more about the bill here.
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Contact: Ryan Furlong, 651-297-8919, ryan.furlong@state.mn.us