While law enforcement agencies and human service providers in
Santa Clara County agree that the latest domestic violence report
raises more questions than answers, all believe the high reporting
locally is a good thing.
While law enforcement agencies and human service providers in Santa Clara County agree that the latest domestic violence report raises more questions than answers, all believe the high reporting locally is a good thing.
Domestic violence advocacy groups say Morgan Hill and Gilroy’s high rate of domestic violence calls per capita in the county means victims, at least, are reaching out for help by calling police authorities.
Morgan Hill averaged nearly seven domestic violence calls per 1,000 residents in 2005 and Gilroy average about 5.5 calls per 1,000 residents. The statistics provided to the grand jury for its report came from Morgan Hill and Gilroy police departments.
Morgan Hill Police Chief Bruce Cumming is quick to point out that the high rate of calls for the city doesn’t necessarily mean there’s been an increase in domestic violence, saying last year his department handled less than 300 calls.
The numbers, Cumming and other experts say, indicate society has started to accept that domestic violence is no longer a joke as viewed many decades ago and not just an intervention issue for police agencies where the husband was sent to a motel to sleep off a violent fight with his wife without filing a police report.
Erin O’Brien, president of the Morgan Hill-based non-profit Community Solutions agency, wonders if the numbers are connected to unknown prosecution rates because our city, too, has the third highest rate of child abuse reporting in the county.
While we can’t explain why Morgan Hill took Campbell’s place in this ugly reporting area, we know that something has changed in the community for the better.
Experts are praising the local police department for improving officer training to the point where honesty is paramount in their investigations calling the violent episodes what they truly are.
The other explanation could be the changing demographics of South County which includes a high parolee rate, younger residents living in our neighborhoods and more dense housing. What’s missing in this puzzle is who is getting charged and who’s getting convicted. Perhaps that’s another area for the grand jury to investigate.
The message should be clear that domestic violence is unacceptable. All members of our community must accept this, no matter what their ethnic and social background. The wealthy and more affluent victims need to stop denying that the problem occurs even if they can seek help from a psychologist, religious leader or doctor; and immigrants and lower-income people need to be aware that violence is not to be tolerated, no matter what is acceptable in their countries of origin due to “machismo” and sexist views.
So what do we do about it? Police departments need to continue the excellent work of responding to these calls aggressively, completing reports that detail the injuries, no matter how small on a person’s body, and arresting perpetrators.
Society must also continue to fight to break the cycle of domestic violence. Many decades ago, we lacked the courage to stop the violence. We kept the problem within the walls of our homes. The courts weren’t helpful. There was no batterer accountability. Like child abuse, domestic violence was a silent sin. Nobody saw it. Nobody reported it. Everyone called it a “family problem.”
It’s a different world today. We’re less ashamed. We recognize, as intelligent human beings, that violence is animalistic.
Victims must become educated about their rights. They need to know that they can go to court, request restraining orders to protect themselves from their batterers, order them to leave their households, prevent them from entering their residences, schools, businesses or places of employment. They can also stop batterers from molesting or interfering with minor children.
Police agencies should continue to contact the district attorney so that batterers can be criminally charged, particularly repeat offenders who can threaten victims’ and minor children’s lives.
Programs offered by Community Solutions, which focus on victim services, must continue to receive funding and support. Batterers should continue to be required to take anti-violence education classes. Victims must understand that there’s no counseling that can end the cycle of violence. Agencies should continue to offer those classes. In South County, unfortunately, Community Solutions is the only organization reaching out to victims.
The answer to ending domestic violence in our community is strongly stating that it will have zero tolerance for battering. For younger victims, it will mean overcoming the shame factors associated with domestic violence and learning in the classroom about healthy relationships.
