Oakland Catholic agency forms teams to respond to murders

Published: 2008-03-25

OAKLAND, Calif. (CNS) -- For Oakland families and friends jarred by the violent death of a young loved one, Catholic Charities of the East Bay's Crisis Response Support Network stands at the ready with its "ministry of presence." Within an hour after the Oakland Police Department calls to notify them of a homicide, the network's crisis counselors go to the crime scene, the hospital or the family home, said project director Millie Burns. Oakland has had 32 homicides so far this year; many of the murder victims have been young people. "We are there to comfort, to provide answers, to help with procedural matters and to give intensive support" to relatives, friends and classmates, Burns told The Catholic Voice, newspaper of the Oakland Dicoese. The program began in April 2007, Burns said, with funds from Oakland's violence prevention bill, known as Measure Y. It focuses on Oakland homicides where the victims are age 30 or younger. So far this year, the network's volunteers and staffers have responded to at least 21 homicides, Burns said. In 2007, teams responded to 60 murders.

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