COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Domestic violence is recognized as the most prevalent violent crime in Ohio.
On Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced new initiatives aimed at strengthening support for survivors and improving training and protection for law enforcement officers who respond to domestic violence calls.
As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, DeWine announced several programs after new data from the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services found domestic violence charges were included in just over half of all violent crime arrests in Ohio over a 50 year timespan.
“Anecdotally, we suspected that domestic violence was among the most frequent violent crimes in the state, and this data confirms it,” DeWine said. “The data also reinforces the fact that Ohio must continue to be innovative in its work to protect both domestic violence survivors and the law enforcement officers who respond to calls for help.”
In response, DeWine directed OCJS to set aside funding to be used for domestic-violence-related projects that will include:
- $1 million in additional funding for Ohio’s 55 OCJS-recognized domestic violence shelters. Each shelter will receive a one-time $18,000 grant to help provide immediate shelter and meet critical needs for family violence victims and their dependents.
- A new grant program to fund ballistic shields for law enforcement officers responding to high-risk calls, including domestic violence incidents. The program is intended to complement the Bulletproof Vest Grant Program created by DeWine in 2018
- A new grant program will fund law enforcement training on lethality assessments, which are research-validated tools used by responding officers to determine a survivor’s risk for future incidents of domestic violence. Survivors deemed high-risk are to be referred immediately to a domestic violence program and connected with an advocate for crisis intervention and safety planning.
- A grant program will support expanded co-responder partnership models, which pair victim service advocates with law enforcement agencies so trauma-informed support is available on scene after officers respond to a domestic violence incident. Grants will fund training for law enforcement and help cover staffing costs.
Gov. Mike DeWine has also directed the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board to create a statewide standard for how law enforcement responds and investigates domestic violence cases.
The guidelines will be based in part on a new handbook released by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network in partnership with OCJS.
Source: abc6onyourside.com
