2007 News

April 25, 2007

Bucks County Commissioners Attend NOVA Candlelight Tribute, Proclaim “National Crime Victims’ Rights Week”

During a poignant early evening, April 24 ceremony on the scenic vista overlooking Bucks County’s Core Creek Lake, county board of commissioners’ Chairman Charles H. Martin reiterated the board’s support for victims of crime as part of the Bucks County Network of Victims’ Assistance (NOVA) Candlelight Tribute.

Commissioner Martin speaks during the NOVA Vigil“As we carry victims’ rights into 2007 and beyond, we must strive to create a nation where the legal rights of victims are honored, and individuals are accountable for their treatment of victims,” Commissioner Martin told an audience that included many individuals who have received assistance from NOVA, which sponsors the annual outdoor vigil.

The ceremony also included remarks from Bucks County District Attorney Diane Gibbons and the Hon. Rea Boylan, who both expressed hope that Core Creek’s Commemorative Arbor will serve as a place of refuge and tranquility for crime victims, their families and the community as a whole. Several victims spoke of their personal experiences, and a poem written by an 11-year-old girl who lost her mother offered a unique perspective on the impact of violence.

Every year, 23 million Americans are victims of crime, including 5.2 million who are victims of violent crime.

“Bensalem Police Officers during the NOVA vigilTonight, we reaffirm Bucks County’s commitment to respect and enforce victims’ rights and address their needs during Crime Victims’ Rights Week,” Martin told an audience that also included Commissioner James F. Cawley, Esq. “We express our appreciation for those victims and crime survivors who have turned personal tragedy into a motivating force to improve our response to victims of crime and build a more just community.”

Participating in the ceremony were police officers from Bensalem Twp., where Officer Jimmy Armstrong was killed in the line of duty on April 25, 1975. Also prominently mentioned was Newtown Police Officer Brian S. Gregg, killed in the line of duty on Sept. 29, 2005.