By By ANNA M. LEE Managing Editor
Gov. Bob Riley announced this week a grant in the amount of $107,100 to the Escambia County Commission to fund the county's Domestic Violence Crime Unit.
That amount, to be supplemented by local matching funds in the amount of $35,700, is 15 percent below what the county received for the Domestic Violence Crime Unit last year.
The local matching funds are provided by the County Commission and the District Attorney's office.
The Escambia County Domestic Violence Crime Unit has been in operation since 1997, investigating domestic violence cases, assisting the D.A.'s office in prosecution of those cases and providing services to victims.
Investigators Monte McGougin and Lee Hall are employed by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office. The unit also includes a victim's advocate -- Renee Cain -- who works with the victim, referring them to different services that may be of help to them and preparing them for the court process.
The unit handles between 400 and 500 domestic violence cases in Escambia County each year.