All of the agencies listed below provide services to victims.  Each number listed is a 24-hour hotline:

Dutchess County Domestic Violence Services -
24 Hour Hotline: 845-485-5550

Crime Victim Resources and Agencies 

Grace Smith House, Inc

Dutchess County Office of the Aging - 845-486-2555

Astor Home for Children 

NY State Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-342-3720

If there is a Domestic Violence incident, regardless of whether there is an arrest, or whether the police were even called, you can go to Dutchess County Family Court and ask to file a “Family Offense Petition” requesting an Order of Protection. The intake worker will ask you for information about the incident. It is important to be as specific as possible, and it is especially helpful to know the dates, times, and addresses of incidents. After filing the petition, you will be sent directly to Family Court to see a Judge.

You can only obtain an Order of Protection from Criminal Court when there has been an arrest and/or criminal charges have been filed. At the time of arraignment, the police officer can request an Order of Protection for you. If an Order of Protection is not requested at arraignment, you can call the Special Victims Bureau of the District Attorney’s Office and request assistance in getting an Order of Protection.

If you become the victim of annoying phone calls, you should keep track of the dates and times of each call and report them to the police department. You should also contact the annoyance bureau for your phone company which may be able to assist in tracking the origin of the calls if they have a police report number. For more information on Verizon’s call trace service, contact Verizon toll-free at 1-877-TRACE 4U (1-877-872-2347)

In addition to reporting this to the police department, immediately get replacement credit cards with new account numbers and ask that the old accounts be processed as “account closed at consumer’s request”. You should also report the theft of your credit cards and/or numbers to the fraud units of the three credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. Also, notify your bank(s) of the theft. 

Report all incidents involving Internet crime to the Internet Crime Complaint Center online at www.ic3.gov.

Contact Town of Poughkeepsie Headquarters at 845-485-3666 or the Dutchess County Drug Task Force at 845-463-6040.

The Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department is able to process a bad check for you as a criminal matter. We do not get involved in the collection of funds. In order for us to handle your case you must:

• Have the original check
• Obtain a certificate of protest from the originating bank
• Send a registered (return receipt requested) letter demanding payment to the person who wrote the check

Once you have received the certificate of protest AND the return receipt of mailing, you must wait 10 business days from the date the letter was received by the check writer. When the 10-day period has passed, you should bring ALL of the documents with you, including a copy of the letter sent to the person who wrote the check, to the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department.

The Desk Officer will take possession of the documents, initiate a police record (blotter number), and forward the file to the Detective Division. Upon being assigned the case a detective will contact you as soon as possible.

You will be signing a criminal complaint against the person who wrote you the bad check. A warrant will be issued for that person’s arrest.

Once the criminal complaint has been signed you may be required to appear in court and provide testimony.

After you have signed the criminal complaint and criminal action has been started, DO NOT ACCEPT ANY RESTITUTION. To do so will compromise the criminal case.

If you have any other questions, contact the Detective Division at 845-485-3670.