The District Attorney of Macon donates tens of thousands of dollars to organizations

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The District Attorney of Macon donated more than $43,000 to two organizations in town.

David Cooke gave the Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia more than $36,000 and the Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia more than $6,000.

Cooke said he thought of organizations in Macon that would help the most victims when he matched the money the organizations earned from fundraising.

“I wanted to do something to help victims heal and move forward and do the kinds of things that make our families safer,” he said. “This means they’ll be able to help more people. This means that women will be able to flee their abusers and that children will be safe.”

Dee Simms, Executive Director at the Crisis Line & Safe House, said the donated money will help the shelter buy a generator and build a new sexual assault exam center in Macon.

“I think he’s probably one of the most phenomenal DA that, we in our community, have had and probably in Georgia as well,” Simms said. “He is very committed to not only ensuring that crimes are prosecuted, but that victims are treated with respect and dignity that they deserve.”

Simms said Cooke has donated to the Crisis Line & Safe House in the past and she is very grateful that he keeps donating to the organization.

But where did the donated money come from?

“So this money comes from crimes essentially. It’s the profits of crime, when people break the law, in order to make money that money is subject to forfeiture,” Cooke said.

This means the suspects lose their money. The District Attorney’s Office prosecutes the suspects and then sues them civilly.

Cooke said it means a lot to him to give back to these organizations.

“It’s more than just dollars and cents. This is a matter of safety and a matter of healing for crime victims.”

And the Crisis Line & Safe House said the money will help many victims.

Simms said the sexual assualt exam center should be completed in January of 2018.