HCSO Joins the Criminal Court Clerk’s Office, State Legislators, and Local Law enforcement to Promote the SAVIN and VINE Court Victim Alert Notification System

Hamilton County, TN – This afternoon, Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett joined with Hamilton County Criminal Court Clerk Vince Dean, Hamilton County Judge Alex McVeagh, Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp, and State Senator’s Bo Watson, among others, to promote the VINE LINK and SAVIN Victim Alert Notification System.

Tennessee’s VINE Court Notification System is a service that allows victims of crime and other concerned citizens to access timely and reliable court case information. VINE Courts is offered free of charge to registrants, is completely confidential, and features multiple language support. This valuable service allows victims of crime to receive alerts when a court case status has changed 24 hours a day. This allows victims to know if there have been any changes to their court case or if it has been rescheduled.

The press conference also discussed the importance of the Tennessee SAVIN Program operated by the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association. Similar to the VINE Court Notification System, the Tennessee SAVIN Notification system allows victims and other concerned citizens to register anonymously by telephone (1-888-868-4631) or register online to be notified in the event of an offender’s release, transfer or escape. This is particularly important in cases related to domestic abuse. The Tennessee Sheriff’s Association and SAVIN Governing Council, which is comprised of sheriffs representing all regions of the state, have been working hard toward promoting this service to the public.

“As Sheriff and as a member of the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association, I cannot express how important these two state-wide alert notification systems are in protecting those that have been the victim of crime. Having up-to-date alerts advising of any changes to court cases or letting victims know an offender has been released is incredibly important, especially in domestic abuse cases where retaliation is possible. My office is focused on supporting and advocating for victims of crime,” stated Sheriff Austin Garrett.

Several local law enforcement and non-profit organizations participated in today’s event including the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association, Chattanooga Police Department, Signal Mountain Police Department, the Partnership for Families, Children, & Adults, and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Family Justice Center.

For more information on how these two programs work or to register, please contact 1-888-868-4631 or visit www.vinelink.com for more details.