Honoring crime victims’ rights

In honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, law enforcement and family members come together to honor those who lost their lives in senseless acts of violence.
This year’s ceremony took place at First Baptist Church in Gulfport and honored Janaya Thompson and her family, along with others from Harrison, Hancock, and Stone counties.
People in attendance wore purple ribbons in honor of the victims and law enforcement members light candles to remember those who passed last year. District Attorney Joel Smith said, “This is an opportunity every year for the families of victims to come together hopefully to receive some encouragement and lift their spirits after all that they’ve been through.”
This year’s theme is “strength, resilience, and justice” which reflects a vision for the future in which all victims are strengthened by the response they receive.