NORWICH – October is nationally dedicated to raising awareness of a type of crime which 25 percent of American women fall victim to in their lifetime: domestic violence.
This October is the 22nd commemoration of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and area agencies are stepping up their efforts to bring attention to crimes that often go unreported.
According to Catholic Charities Rape Crisis Coordinator and Community Educator Beth Neuland, there has been a rising demand for their crime victim advocate services in recent months.
Six local advocates are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Neuland reported that it was not uncommon to have the advisors called out to Chenango Memorial Hospital in the middle of the night at least twice a week.
Advocates have been making several more trips to CMH than they were since the start of summer, when she said the frequency of calls had increased from about eight to 12 per week. The hospital only contacts the group when a victim has been the target of a sexual or physical assault that requires medical attention, often in the emergency room.
The Crime Victims Program offers a range of services to victims of domestic violence from the aid of advocates in navigating the judicial, medical and social services systems, to providing temporary safe housing for mothers and children.
The group’s Safe Dwelling Project houses victims of domestic violence and any dependent children at a confidential location after incidents where victims must flee their homes, which they often share with a suspect perpetrator.
The program operates an apartment-style facility in the county where victims can live temporarily when they have nowhere else to go.
Neuland encourages victims to contact the 24-hour local domestic violence hotline at 336-1101. Victims can also contact Catholic Charities directly at 334-3532 with questions or concerns. To report a crime, the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 334-2000, but any emergency caller should just dial 911.
The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office reported that local victims should utilize the National Victim Notification Network called the VINE program that allows concerned citizens to track the custody of their offender. The 24-hour service keeps track of convicted offender’s custody status and can tell a victim if a perpetrator has been released from incarceration, transferred or escaped. The link to the network is www.vinelink.com and the toll free number is 1-888-VINE -4-NY.
“Our services require little more than a phone call. We don’t require police involvement,” said Neuland. She explained that the service would respond to any complaints of violence. Advocates may urge official action, but at what level is often up to the victim, she said.
Catholic Charities also worked closely with the Department of Social Services and other family intervention groups and had received referrals from several agencies, Neuland said.
“We will take a victim at their word and if they feel they are in a violent situation, we will offer them alternative housing,” she added.
According to Catholic Charities, as of January 2009 the Crime Victims Program has served 112 new domestic violence clients while continuing services to 135 victims who sought aid in 2008. Since the year began, 46 individuals looking for refuge were assigned board in the Safe Dwelling Project.