Crime victims become advocates - WNYT

Jason was one of two keynote speakers at the Albany County Ceremony of Remembrance, part of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. It's a membership Kimberly Philip joined after her brother was killed by a drunk driver.

"I think it's a tremendous event," Philip states, "It's wonderful because it gives victims a place to go and often times you feel like you're alone and no one can relate to what you're going through."

"It's devastating to me how something like this happens. I don't understand it," says Sandra LaPlante.

LaPlante was fitted with her 13th prosthetic leg just two weeks ago, the victim of a 2014 motorcycle crash in which the drunk driver that hit her, Robert Dunn, was involved in his third DWI offense.

"He's done a year and little over a month in jail," LaPlante points out, "I've got a life sentence here and he's going to have the opportunity to be out in the community getting a job."

That's another one of the reasons to remember crime victims, so they can support one another but also to become advocates.

"I think you heard here today there'll be some advocacy for better legislation as it relates to the Department of Corrections," says Albany County District Attorney David Soares. "This event is particularly important because we want to create a way for victims of crime to still continue to support one another."

Also at the ceremony, Albany County Crime Victim Caseworker Amanda Petrie was presented with the Elizabeth Martin Outstanding Achievement in Victim Advocacy Award.

Retired New York State Trooper Bruce McLauglin was presented with the Sheriff George L. Infante Outstanding Achievement in Law Enforcement Award for his dedication to accident scene reconstruction work that helped convict dozens of drunk drivers.

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