NYPD Hosts Domestic Violence Awareness Conference with Community and Civic Partners
October 12, 2016
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the NYPD is proud play an active role in raising awareness about this critical issue.
On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, the NYPD is hosting a Domestic Violence Awareness Conference at One Police Plaza with the First Lady of New York City, Chirlane McCray, leaders from the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, Safe Horizon and Domestic Violence Prevention Officers from precincts and police service areas across the city. Together they will discuss the C.A.R.E. program (Creating Awareness About Relationship Equity), and the Crime Victim Assistance Program, to name a few.
In addition to participating in collaborative initiatives with its partner agencies, the NYPD smartphones are improving how we address domestic violence. The recent conversion of the Domestic Incident Report (DIR) (the report used to capture the circumstances surrounding a domestic violence incident) to an electronic fillable-format allows officers to take digital evidentiary photos with their smartphones and attach them to the DIR. The information is sent to our central Domain Awareness System, where it can be analyzed to make informed deployment decisions. It can also be referred to by officers responding to calls for service, advising them of any past incidents of domestic violence at a specific location.
“The NYPD is proud to collaborate with the First Lady McCray and our other city-agency partners to raise awareness about domestic violence prevention,” said Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “The work of our domestic violence prevention officers is crucial. Their efforts save lives. I want to commend their passion and dedication.”
“It is great to bring so many experts together to discuss advancements in domestic violence prevention and I thank them for their support,” said Chief of Department Carlos Gomez. “The NYPD produces more than 250,000 Domestic Incident Reports each year. It is gratifying to know each report is carefully reviewed by our Domestic Violence Prevention Officers, ensuring we are doing all we can to arrest offenders and support the families involved.”
“Domestic violence once flourished behind locked doors and with public silence. Today, thanks to the dedication of law enforcement, it is treated with the seriousness it deserves,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray, co-Chair of the Commission on Gender Equity. “Still, abusive relationships are too common in our city. And anyone can have an unhealthy relationship: rich or poor; educated or uneducated; in every culture; in every neighborhood. If we want to end these negative patterns we must get women, and especially men, to re-imagine what it means to be in a healthy relationship and learn new behaviors.”
Throughout the month of October, the NYPD is raising awareness about domestic violence prevention in several ways. Magnetic purple ribbons have been placed the side of marked police cars. The NYPD is participating in the “Shine the Light on Domestic Violence” campaign, illuminating One Police Plaza in purple light on select evenings. There is also a social media campaign across all NYPD twitter accounts, utilizing the hashtags #DVAM2016 and #NYCGoPurple, along with custom graphics explaining the role of Domestic Violence Prevention Officers and family justice centers in each borough.