Community Impact Statements Communities and neighborhoods, as well as individuals, can
be victims of crime. A known drunk and/or drugged driver with a reputation for unsafe driving can frighten an entire neighborhood. A neighborhood that prides itself on peace, safety, and quality of life for adults and children is violated by the anxiety caused by a drunk and/or drugged driver. Concerned citizens may wish to band
Community Impact Statements focus on peace, safety and quality of life.
together to form a community watch in an effort to determine the offender’s driving schedule. Knowing the habits of a drunk and/or drugged driver provides residents with information that may help keep their children and property safe. In these cases, prosecutors are adopting the notion of community prosecution that involves neighborhood or community Victim Impact Statements. Sometimes the prosecutor’s office works with individuals and neighborhood associations to gather information for impact statements that are presented at the sentencing hearing. Residents are sent information regarding the offender’s length of incarceration after sentencing. Conducting a Community Impact Statement may have several benefits: • It can allow the court to see the impacts the crime has made in a neighborhood; emotionally or possibly physically if there has been a crash. • It can bring about awareness in the community about the efforts of law enforcement in the arena of substance impaired driving. • It can encourage involvement of community members by allowing them to participate. • It can provide support to a victim/survivor and their family.
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