Cost of gunfire: State program provides financial support for families of violent crime victims
MINNEAPOLIS — Someone is killed by gunfire in Minnesota roughly every three days. Those left behind are often left with the unexpected financial burden of burials and other costs just as they are stricken with grief.
But there is a place they can turn — it's a state fund for violent crime victims set up to help families for years to come.
Two years have passed since Angela Sturm lost her oldest kids to gunfire.
"I think about them every day, all the time," Sturm said.
Jasmine Sturm and Matt Pettus were found murdered along with two others in a western Wisconsin cornfield.
"I think about the milestones they're missing with their kids. I'm not paralyzed by it anymore," Sturm said.
In the days following, Sturm says there were so many decisions to be made in the midst of deep grief. And then there was the financial factor.
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"You shouldn't have to plan a funeral for your children, they should be planning yours," Sturm said.
She learned the state had a fund specifically to help families like hers, following a violent crime.
It covered the funeral and repass, totaling about $17,000.
"It helps to ease that part of it. That was huge to me, worrying about the finance and how we were going to cover all of that," Sturm said.
She says it allowed her to focus more on her family and other details needing her attention.
"It's a lot of pressure off," Sturm said.
That's the mission behind the Crime Victims Reimbursement Program, formerly known as Reparations.
"We're reimbursing for losses a victim experiences after a violent crime," Kate Weeks, Executive Director of the Office of Justice Programs, said.
OJP oversees the fund. Weeks says dollars come from federal, state and restitution.
"It will cover everything from homicides, assaults sexual assaults, domestic violence, sex trafficking, child abuse, etc," Weeks said.
It reimburses funeral and burial costs, lost wages and dependent care, medical bills, mental health and trauma care. Over the last year, the state paid $3.7 million dollars to families.
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Mostly for homicide and assault, for economic support, medical bills and funeral costs. There are eligibility requirements: You must file a police report within 30 days, file a claim within three years and must cooperate with police and prosecution.
"We really want to make sure people can know and understand and can access the program," Weeks said.
About 13% were denied. Reasons include the claim wasn't made in time, the person wasn't a crime victim, there was no proof of a crime or the person submitting the claim committed a crime.
While staff goes through most claims to make sure the requirements are met, there's an appointed board to look at cases that aren't as clear cut.
"Some of the things we look at as a board is some of the applications where staff may have had additional questions around the approval or denial of it," board member Kenosha Davenport said.
And they take on appeals, says Davenport, who's also executive director of the Sexual Violence Center.
"This isn't a scary process. It is a part of their rights to be able to make that appeal," Davenport said.
She says the board has to follow the law and they want to be part of helping people heal. Each claim has a $50,000 limit over a lifetime.
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That brings comfort to Sturm, who joined a homicide support group to process her pain. And she recently started a podcast to try to help others.
"It's called 'Beyond Goodbye,'" Sturm said.
She says it's helpful to know in the back of her mind she has the support to go back to therapy.
"It's a deterrent for people to go and get therapy, but to have that covered and be able to know I can go and get this help that I need. And then they're going to help cover that that's big," Sturm said.
She hopes others use the resources.
"Use it, use it, reach out, ask. It's available for you to help ease just a little bit," Sturm said.
The program is adding more positions to be more visible in the community and help families access the fund.