Every April, our nation comes together for a week to remember victims of crime — a week to remind them that they are seen, heard, and not alone — but it's also an opportunity to reaffirm our uncompromising commitment to justice as a state and a nation.

Forty years ago, President Ronald Reagan created the first National Crime Victims Week in response to a nationwide call to raise awareness of victims of violent crime. The subsequent creation of the Presidential Task Force on Victims of Crime laid the foundation for a series of landmark laws enacted in the following years that further strengthened the rights of crime victims.

This year, rallies and memorial events will be held across the country to mark National Crime Victims Week, with the theme “How can we help?This question challenges all of us to think about what we would do if someone in our family or community was the victim of a crime and needed help. How would we respond?

As a career prosecutor, I know firsthand the challenges that crime victims and their families go through as they seek justice and begin the healing process. It is not easy. The journey these families, law enforcement officials, prosecutors and victim advocates walk together is often a long one.

Last year, I had the opportunity to prosecute a 24-year-old “cold case” in Dale County involving the deaths of two innocent 17-year-old girls. That investigation, trial, and conviction reinforced the deep desire for justice we all have when we see others suffer at the hands of criminals. Unfortunately, the most horrific cases often result in the longest delayed justice, and as a state, we cannot allow these victims to feel forgotten as time passes.

As Alabama's Attorney General, I will steadfastly support victims and continue to shine a light on them and their rights, including continuing to fight for them when the world, especially the media, tries to downplay their pain and ignore their perspective.

I am grateful that my office is staffed with dedicated and talented victim services specialists who assist victims through the long and complex legal process, help them understand their rights, accompany them to court proceedings, assist with compensation for crime victims, and assist with registering for victim notification services.

Additionally, we value our partnerships with local nonprofits such as Victims of Crime And Leniency (VOCAL), domestic violence service providers, sexual assault service providers, and child advocacy centers that provide immediate and long-term support to victims and their families.

My office has the honor of leading the recently established State Sexual Assault Task Force to ensure victims are educated and informed about their rights and what they can expect from the legal system. These are just a few of the ways that staff in the Attorney General's Victim Assistance Division serve the families of crime victims every day.

Of course, my goal as Attorney General has been to make Alabama a safer place to live. Less crime means fewer crime victims. I can't think of a more worthy goal for city, county and state government officials. That's why, as Attorney General, my office will always fight to keep violent criminals behind bars, no matter how much activists masquerading as journalists might hate that. Every citizen of this state has a fundamental right to live free from fear of violence. We cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in too many parts of Alabama, including right here in our state capital.

It is time for us to call this evil what it is and fight it with every resource and tool we have. One victim of violent crime should be too much for any of us to bear.

This week, I hope that you will answer this call and join me in showing your support for victims of crime and offering encouragement and support to these individuals and their loved ones as they walk the difficult path to peace and justice. I pray that Alabamians can join forces to fight for a safer Alabama, work with our local and state leaders, and, as always, support the police officers who go to work every day to protect our communities and keep them from becoming victims of crime.

Steve Marshall 48 is^Number Attorney General of Alabama.