Dakota County Safe At Home Honorees

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced that on June 22, three of his staff were recognized by Secretary of State Steve Simon at an awards ceremony at the State Capitol for the Safe at Home Program. Kelly Nicholson, Victim and Witness Coordinator, and Michelle Christianson and Laura Landis, both Victim Specialists, were recognized for their ongoing commitment to and partnership with the Secretary of State?s Safe at Home address confidentiality program as an Application Assistant over the last decade. At the awards ceremony, in honor of Safe at Home?s 10-year anniversary, Secretary Simon recognized 25 Application Assistants from 19 organizations who have been dedicated partners since Safe at Home began serving Minnesotans in 2007. According to Simon, Safe at Home plays a critical role in helping protect victims of domestic violence and other Minnesotans who fear for their safety, and it would not be possible without partners like the Dakota County Attorney?s Office. Application Assistants have helped enroll participants in the program over the last 10 years. They represent Safe at Home on the front lines every day and allow participants to go about their daily lives without risk of the person they fear discovering their physical address.? The Safe at Home program is designed to assist Minnesotans who wish to keep the location of their physical residence private for personal safety reasons, often because they are victims of domestic violence and stalking. Participants in the program use a P.O. Box as their legal address for all purposes, such as paying bills, filing taxes, legal services, among many others. First-class mail sent to the P.O. Box is then forwarded to the participant?s physical address by the Secretary of State?s Office. Safe at Home has enrolled nearly 6,000 people since 2007. There are over 250 trained Application Assistants throughout Minnesota, covering every county in the state.