Domestic violence cases in Los Angeles in the past year have increased significantly, according to police. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and City Attorney Mike Feuer want the Los Angeles victims of domestic violence to know they are not alone in fighting back.
200 New Domestic Violence Cases a Week
According to Feuer, his office sees about 11,000 domestic violence cases per year. That roughly equates to 200 new cases every week. “We get bumps from year to year, but this year is a significant increase,” Chief Beck said. “Now whether that’s an increase in reporting or an actual increase in occurrences is very hard to parse out.” But the LAPD has received 1,500 more reports this year, so far, marking at 18 percent increase. And the number of cases reported to the LA County Sheriff’s Department is up 3.8 percent.
More Resources for the Community
According to Beck, the reason behind the increase is unknown, but the LAPD is trying to figure it out. His hope is to provide the community with more information about resources, such as locations of shelters for battered women, legal services, and financial planning. “These are very difficult crimes to suppress with more police,” Beck said. “This is about more education. This is about talking through things and learning ways to deal with conflict.”
Prevention of Domestic Violence
While responding to incidents is crucial, it might not necessarily be the best way to combat domestic violence. More needs to be done to prevent domestic violence. “As a culture, we keep trying respond to the abuse and help. We’re not doing enough on the other end from preventing it from happening in the first place,” said Patti Giggans said, executive director of LA-based Peace Over Violence. The organization provides counseling, legal aid, and other assistance to Los Angeles domestic violence victims.
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Source: NBC Los Angeles, Domestic Violence Cases in Los Angeles on the Rise, September 20, 2014
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