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Speak Up - Save LivesCONCLUSION
In concluding this year's report it is again glaringly obvious that family members, coworkers and neighbors are well aware of serious problems in these relationships before the deaths occur and yet did not call law enforcement or others for intervention. It is the hope of this committee that everyone begin to take notice of what is going on in these relationships. The community must educate itself on domestic violence in all its' forms and begin to realize that it can turn deadly. Concerned community members must also know where and what they can do to assist victims. It is hoped that this report will lay the groundwork for the beginning of that knowledge (see pages 17-20).
Domestic violence homicides are at their core about one individual's desire to have absolute power and control over their significant other. When they begin to feel that power eroding, they will do whatever they have to do in order to regain it, including killing the very person/persons they seek to control. Children, other family members, neighbors, co-workers and innocent bystanders are all put at risk if they are around when the violence erupts. We must continue to work to educate the public on these issues and help people to understand that reporting domestic violence is helping not hurting and intervention is necessary. It should not be considered interference in an intimate relationship but a civic duty to keep our community members and their children safe.
We must also note that this year we had the lowest number of domestic violence related deaths since we started compiling the numbers in 1994. We feel this is due to several reasons:
(1) Increased reporting of non-lethal domestic violence incidents by the community
(2) Confiscation of guns at domestic violence incidents by well trained law enforcement officers
(3) Arrest and thorough follow-up by well trained law enforcement officers
(4) Prosecution by the District Attorney's office
(5) Advocacy support for victims and their children by agencies and programs
(6) Appropriate sentences for perpetrators by Judges and court orders which the Probation Department makes sure are followed
(7) Counseling for victims, children and perpetrators
(8) Community campaigns on domestic violence
(9) In custody and community intervention programs
(10) Availability of restraining orders
(11) Increased community awareness
(12) Collaborations of the county and community based organizations-working together on domestic violence issues
We also know that all the other agencies represented on the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee take what we learn in every case and apply it to their everyday work. This report gives us "red-flags" (page 17) that help us identify those potentially lethal cases.
We are also very happy we did not lose any children this year in domestic violence incidents and will continue our all out efforts to educate the public on domestic violence. This educational effort will target both the young and old. We also for the first time did not have one couple represented in these numbers who met and began dating as teens. Again, kudos to those who work on a daily basis to educate the teens in our county.
The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee hopes that the release of this report will help people begin to recognize domestic violence and intervene before death is the result.
Speak up-Save lives.
Respectfully Submitted: The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee 2004
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