There were over 2400 911 calls for domestic abuse in the Camden Community in 2009. Domestic abuse is a particularly troubling crime because the abuser is, by definition, someone to whom the victim is close. There are usually a host of ties; financial, emotional, and familial that make it especially difficult for victims to separate themselves from their abusers. On top of that, there is a violation of the trust implicit in intimate relationships that compounds the pain and suffering experienced by domestic abuse victims.
The Minneapolis Police Department has new resources to help in the fight against domestic abuse. In October, the City of Minneapolis announced on that it had received a federal grant through the Violence Against Women Act in the amount of $939,594. This money will be used during the next two years to find new and innovative ways to help keep women safe from their abusers and to make offenders more accountable for their actions.
Fighting domestic violence is a top priority for the City, and this grant will expand the existing partnerships between law enforcement, the City Attorney’s Office, Hennepin County probation and domestic violence advocates as they continue to improve the City’s response to domestic violence. With the additional funding, the City will be able to increase resources for police and prosecution and involve more community organizations to address violence against women among diverse and traditionally underserved populations
The plans include placing domestic abuse advocates in community based probation offices to serve as resources to victims. A list of repeat domestic violence offenders will be developed with individualized intervention plans to increase offender accountability and victim safety. The team will also be drafting a protocol for how to most effectively handle domestic violence cases, incorporating best practices developed during the grant period.
In 2008 the City Attorney’s Office and Police Department implemented a new evidence gathering protocol so that officers responding to misdemeanor domestic assault calls would gather more evidence at their initial response to the call, such as taking video taped statements using squad videos and collecting evidence to document the victim’s injuries. This additional evidence allows the City Attorney’s Office to proceed with prosecution even if the victim does not participate in the prosecution. The initial results from the implementation of this protocol have shown a significant increase in conviction rates and funding from the grant will allow this new protocol to be implemented throughout the entire City. Since 2005, the City’s conviction rate on domestic violence cases has increased by over 30 percent.
The Minneapolis Police Department sought this funding, along with its partners, to develop a Coordinated Community Response Protocol Planning team. The team consists of the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office, Hennepin County Community Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Domestic Abuse Project, Casa de Esperanza, and Asian Women United of Minnesota.
There are numerous agencies in the community which can provide domestic abuse victims with assistance, including temporary shelter, legal assistance, counseling and referral services, advocacy programs, interpreter services, and children services.
The Hennepin County Domestic Abuse Service Center is one such resource. The Center is located at the Hennepin County Government center, 300 S.6th St. # A-level 022. Their phone number is 612-348-5073 (TDD 348-2620).
The Service Center provides all of the services listed above and can assist you in obtaining an order for protection or harassment order. There is also a full time Minneapolis Police sergeant there to assist in investigation and a city/county attorney to assist in prosecution.