BUCYRUS — Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Crall is supporting Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted as he launches his new Safe at Home Program on Sept 8. This program is intended to shield the personal information of an individual who is the survivor of domestic violence, human trafficking or certain other crimes. The initiative, created by substitute House Bill 359, is an address confidentiality program intended for victims to shield their actual residence address from public records.

Crall feels that victims should not fear for their personal safety, nor the safety of their children and dependents, by having their physical address become a public record by exercising their Constitutional right to vote.

“An important part of being a survivor of crime instead of a victim involve taking control back from the abuser. When a person cannot exercise his or her right to vote out of fear, that person feels powerless. Secretary of State Husted has developed a way to empower a person once victimized through voting,” Crall said.

A victim must complete an application process, with the help of an Application Assistant, to register in the Safe at Home Program.

“We are committed to helping victims that need this program. Jim Scott, the Director of our Victim Assistance Program here in the Prosecutor’s Office, became a certified Application Assistant to help get victims registered in the program,” Crall said.

For more information, or for assistance in registering with the Safe at Home program, please call the Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office at (419) 562-9782.