Attorney General Miyares Honors Victims' Rights Advocates For 5th Annual Unsung Heroes Award Ceremony

RICHMOND, VA -- Today, the Office of the Attorney General hosted the 5th annual Unsung Heroes Award Ceremony to recognize individuals for their outstanding service and support to victims of crime. The Office of the Attorney General established these awards to acknowledge Virginians working to aid victims in their recovery and healing, to promote trauma-informed responses, and to affect change in their communities.

"While the circumstances that brought the unsung heroes together were tragic, I am inspired by their resilience and determination to make a difference in the face of daunting adversity. These heroes are men and women who have witnessed unspeakable horrors, yet they wake up every day and go back to work because they know there are victims who need their help. They are the faces of heroism and hope in Virginia,” said Attorney General Miyares.

Below are the recipients of this year's Unsung Heroes Awards:

Chris Brosan, Chief Humane Law Enforcement Officer, Loudoun County.

Chief Brosan has been with the department for 9 ½ years. A former Virginia Police Officer, he also spent 2 ½ years with the Humane Society of the United States as Manager of Strategic Campaigns and Special Projects. As the lead law enforcement instructor for HSUS's Humane State Program, he trained thousands of law enforcement officers in 10 states and across the islands of Puerto Rico and Vieques.

Kristel DiGravio, Domestic Violence Detective, Spotsylvania.

Kristel has served victims of crime for twenty plus years and has nearly spent her entire career helping domestic violence victims. She got down to the root of the problem within Law Enforcement on understanding domestic violence and the stigma that some in law enforcement put upon the victims.

Lieutenant Aaron Hurd, Fluvanna County Sheriff's Office.

Lieutenant Hurd has led the Criminal Investigations Unit for the last five years. As the unit commander, he has dedicated much of the unit's time to investigating crimes against children. Hurd also serves as our agency's coordinator and sole member of the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, where he liaises with multiple local and federal partners to investigate Child Sexual Assault Material (CSAM) cases.

Jennifer Knowlton, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Chesapeake.

Ms. Knowlton is the owner and operator of Chesapeake Forensic Specialists and has demonstrated exceptional excellence in victim services through her collaboration, advocacy, and commitment to victims of sexual assault and strangulation. She is the founding partner of the Norfolk Family Justice Center (NFJC).

Amber Leake, Victim Services Director for the Department of Corrections.

Amber oversees the Department of Corrections' victim advocacy, notification, training, and support. Amber also led a multidisciplinary team that launched NAAVI in October 2021, the agency's new automated victim notification program. NAAVI, or Notification and Assistance for Victim Inclusion, is a comprehensive, user-friendly, and victim-centered notification program that has improved direct services to crime victims and provides for more efficient use of staff time

Alison Barnett Moye, Volunteer-Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter (LAWS). Alison is a domestic violence survivor who was fortunate to receive services for herself and her children through the Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter (LAWS). As part of that healing process, Alison began participating in panel reviews of LAWS services, larger discussions around Loudoun's overall response to domestic violence and speaking in the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy.

Sabrina L. Porter, Victim Assistance Coordinator, Montgomery County.

Sabrina brings 16+ years of faithful service to the community with her work at the Montgomery County Victim Witness Program. She is instrumental in advocating for victims and ensuring that their needs are represented, both in and out of court. She also maintains contact with witnesses that, coupled with her other efforts, safeguards successful prosecutions or desirable dispositions. Her work involves advocating for victims and surviving family members of the most heinous crimes, such as the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech and the New River Community College shooting in 2013.

Lt. Harold P. Street III, Victim Witness Program Director, Wythe County Sheriff's Office.

Lieutenant Street is a former law enforcement officer who spent 30 years enforcing federal fish and wildlife laws before joining the Sheriff's Office and the Victim Witness Director. In 2008, Lt. Street joined the Wythe County Sheriff's Office as the Victim Witness Program Director. The Wythe County Victim Witness program provides crisis intervention and advocacy, as well as assesses victim/witness needs, makes referrals to other agencies and develops service/safety plans for victims based on their individual needs.

National Crime Victims' Rights Week is observed annually in April throughout the country to recognize the accomplishments of the victims' rights movement.

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