Campbell County’s domestic-violence investigator: VSTOP funding and victim services

March 3: $28,860 for part-time investigative work

Campbell County supervisors approved a $28,860 supplemental appropriation associated with the calendar-year 2026 VSTOP grant. The March 3 meeting minutes describe the funding as a continuation supporting a part-time investigator who reviews domestic-violence calls received by the Sheriff’s Office or Commonwealth’s Attorney, either directly or through review.

The approved budget additions were:

• $25,860 for part-time compensation.
• $2,215 for the employer’s FICA costs.
• $785 for workers’ compensation.

The item passed with the consent agenda, with all seven supervisors voting in favor. The minutes identify the intended work and the amount added to the county budget. They do not announce a newly created position or identify an employee’s start date.

What the county’s appropriation request shows

The supporting request, dated February 17 and numbered 20260303-13, appears in the March agenda packet. It increases the VSTOP revenue budget by the same $28,860 and states that the action has no impact on undesignated fund balance.

The form is a supplemental appropriation for county fiscal year 2026. Its additions are not, by themselves, a complete grant award agreement, a full annual salary figure or a record of payments already made. The grant-specific budget and reimbursement ledger would reconcile the project’s total financing and spending.

Keeping those records separate matters when assessing whether public money supported the work described in the board’s approval.

October’s packet adds a fiscal-year financial snapshot

An FY26 carryover worksheet, dated September 21 and presented in the October 6 agenda, lists the following figures in the same three expense accounts:

Separately, the VSTOP revenue line shows $58,092.18 in FY26 actual revenue and a $12,697.04 carryover request for grant revenue not received in that fiscal year.

These fiscal-year account figures should not be added to, or attributed entirely to, the March $28,860 calendar-year grant addition. The worksheet is a staff request; it does not establish an October 6 approval vote or a new grant award.

How the VSTOP continuation program works

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services’ CY2026 guidelines identify VSTOP as the state-administered program supported by federal STOP Violence Against Women formula funds. The continuation period runs from January 1 through December 31, 2026.

For law-enforcement projects, the guidelines generally limit federal funding to 75% of project costs, with the remaining 25% supplied as cash or in-kind match. Campbell’s statement about undesignated fund balance therefore does not establish that the entire project requires no local contribution. The county’s approved grant budget would show how any match is satisfied.

The guidelines’ maximum funding table is an application ceiling. It should not be substituted for Campbell’s actual award. A signed award document was not verified for this report.

Where victims and witnesses can ask for assistance

Separately, the Campbell County Victim/Witness Program says it assists people who have been victims or witnesses of crime. The county lists help with protective orders, Virginia Victims Fund forms, community referrals, interpreter services, bond-condition questions and court-ordered restitution.

The program’s main number is 434-332-9520, and its published email is victimwitness@campbellcountyva.gov. Its office is at 723 Village Highway in Rustburg. These are service and case-information contacts; the Sheriff’s Office directs emergencies to 911.

The Victim/Witness page also describes information about court dates, significant case developments, custody status and opportunities to provide a victim impact statement. Readers can contact the program about their circumstances and the assistance available.

The VSTOP appropriation describes investigative staffing. It does not establish that the same $28,860 funds the Victim/Witness Program or provides direct financial awards to victims.

Court information and financial-assistance questions

Virginia’s Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act addresses information about available protection, financial assistance, restitution and the criminal-justice process. It assigns many information and assistance responsibilities to local victim/witness programs and requires investigating agencies to provide a standardized rights form as soon as practicable after identifying a crime victim.

The law includes conditions for particular notices and services. For example, it addresses advance court notices and changes when practicable for victims who have supplied current contact information. A resident seeking updates should ask the local program how to maintain their contact information and which notifications require a request.

Information about compensation or restitution is a route to understanding the applicable process; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or payment.

Which records would show the grant’s implementation

The DCJS guidelines anticipate quarterly financial reports, a midyear narrative status report and a cumulative annual report. The applicable award terms would confirm Campbell’s requirements. An approved project budget, reimbursement records and an aggregate activity report would provide a more complete account of implementation than the appropriation alone.

Useful questions include how many funded hours were worked, what investigative work was recorded and whether the project met its approved objectives. Public reporting can address those questions without identifying victims or revealing individual case files. No measured improvement in response times, case outcomes or victim safety was verified for this report.

The Sheriff’s Office records page identifies its public-records contact. The Campbell government directory also links county offices and meeting information. Continue with the Campbell news index or return to the county hub.

Sources and review date

Reviewed October 18, 2026. Sources are the March minutes, appropriation request in the agenda packet, October carryover worksheet, DCJS guidelines, county Victim/Witness page, Sheriff’s Office page and Virginia’s victim-rights statute.

To request the existing records identified in this report, use the Campbell public-records guide for agency contacts, a request example and cost-estimate guidance.