Niagara University Partners with Local Law Enforcement and Community Agencies to Implement STRIVE Grant

A new statewide initiative designed to increase support for survivors of domestic violence, offer additional resources to those who serve them, and strengthen the response to their perpetrators was announced at Niagara University on Oct. 1, 2025.

The university is a partner with area law enforcement and social service agencies in implementing the STRIVE (Statewide Targeted Intimate Partner Violence Initiative) grant, which uses evidence-based practices and fosters collaboration to help survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and keep communities safe.

"We're absolutely delighted to host this day and so proud to be a partner in the STRIVE Grant," said the Rev. James Maher, C.M., Niagara University president. "What we celebrate today is our work together that makes an impact on our community, creating best practices around safety. We're incredibly proud of our partnership with law enforcement, with social service and community-based agencies, and with government. We're happy to be an anchor institution to bring people together and be a university that builds around those partnerships."

STRIVE fosters collaboration among district attorneys' offices, sheriffs' offices, municipal police agencies, probation departments, and service providers in promoting a coordinated community response rooted in survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally competent practices. The initiative emphasizes six core elements: people, alignment, evidence-based strategies, engagement, skilled and supported staff, and monitoring, and evaluation, and places special focus on high-risk cases where victims face a serious risk of harm or lethality.

"STRIVE is an important step forward in supporting victims of domestic violence in Niagara County," said Niagara Falls Police Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari. "This grant is more than just funding; it is a commitment to meaningful change."

"We have tremendous partners to work with in this county to move things forward, such as domestic violence awareness and domestic violence training," added Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti. "Together, we can save lives in the domestic violence problem. And together, we're going to build a safer, stronger community."

"STRIVE funding will benefit survivors in many different ways," said Kathy Stack, STRIVE coordinator. "Some of them will be improved responses via training and the implementation of risk assessment tools, while also offering resources and services that will include the creation of a county-wide domestic violence high-risk team."

The initiative kicked off with a training led by Dr. Dana Radatz, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at Niagara University, an award-winning and internationally recognized scholar whose research interests focus on relationships and sexual violence and victimization, with a central focus on the integration of evidence-based practices into intimate partner violence treatment programs, risk assessments, and violence prevention efforts. She will serve as a core member of the STRIVE team to offer training and consultation as a content expert on best practices related to STRIVE.