Dari Schwartz-Bookamer Memorial Fund

The Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) Program for Suffolk County was established by Dari Schwartz-Bookamer and her coworker, Emily Constant. Dari, the former chief of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, devoted her life to advocating for victims of violence and abuse. She was passionate about providing safe, professional, and trauma-informed care for victims and survivors of sexual assault. 

Our SAFE medical personnel (SAFEs) are on the front line of care for vulnerable patients, providing emergency medical care and expert evidence collection to survivors of sexual assault. Their work ensures that high-quality DNA evidence is collected and can be used to prosecute perpetrators in the pursuit of justice. Our SAFEs respond to four main hospitals: Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, Long Island Community Hospital, Peconic Bay Medical Center (Northwell Health), and Stony Brook University Hospital. 

Dari left us too soon, passing away in 2019, only 2 months after her retirement. In 2020, we established the Dari Schwartz-Bookamer Memorial Fund to honor her legacy and to provide ongoing support for the SAFE program. 

Feel free to contact Dr. Heather Parrott (hparrott@eclivibes.org) for questions about the Dari Schwartz-Bookamer Memorial Fund or the SAFE program.