HAUPPAUGE - Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy announced receipt of a $154,525 federal grant that will aid the county in assisting bilingual victims of domestic violence.

The grant award, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and administered through NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services, will allow Suffolk and supporting agencies to create bilingual positions for victims of domestic violence.

“We must be pro-active in ensuring that victims of domestic violence are not inhibited by language barriers in seeking and obtaining the protection and support they deserve,” said Levy.

The grant, which was approved by the county legislature Tuesday evening, will be allocated as follows:

• $70,347 will be used to create a bilingual assistant district attorney position in the District Attorney’s office, to prosecute English and non-English speaking perpetrators of domestic violence;
• $20,000 will be used for the VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center for a part-time bilingual outreach and advocacy position;
• $19,809 will be used by Brighter Tomorrows to create a part-time bilingual hotline worker position;
• $19,719 will be used by Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence for a part-time bilingual advocate position;
• $20,000 will be used by Retreat, Inc., for a part-time bilingual advocate position.

The remaining funds will be allocated to the Suffolk County Police Department and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s department for equipment related to domestic violence panic alarm devices and for speech translating devices.