Danville Police Chief Christopher Yates says the new Domestic Violence Task Force being put together is not meant to be a flash in the pan with a couple meetings, but a permanent practice of teamwork.
As he stated to Linda Bolton on 1490 WDAN’s News Makers program, it’s a matter of the police leaving nothing unturned when it comes to criminal investigations and follow-up interviews, before a case is turned over to the state’s attorney’s office. Then, it’s a matter of working with local agencies to help the victims, as well as educating the community and the perpetrators. Because stopping violence in the home can certainly mean stopping it in the streets down the road.
AUDIO: (It’s) a corrolation with violence in the home translating out on to the street. Maybe this isn’t something that you’re going to break that right away, and it may not be affected until the next generation. However I think this is something that we need to address because it may very well be a root cause of a lot of the violence we see that’s acted out outside the home.
Cher Pollock, who works with the women’s shelter at Crosspoint and the Y, says her office has certainly been busy during the pandemic, with more people staying home. And it’s time to make sure domestic violence is not kept under wraps.
AUDIO: This has been the secret crime that goes on inside the home, and was viewed as a relationship issue, a private issue. And I think this brings it out into the light and shows it for the criminal action that it is.
Michelle Nelson, who handles Clinical Services at Crosspoint, says progress has been made with Crosspoint working with the Danville Police. And this task force should lead to even more.
AUDIO: We’ve done referrals back and forth for a very long time. And to strengthen that collaboration is an exciting step for this community.
Marcie Sheridan, executive director of the Survivors Resource Center, also on the News Makers program, says this effort can be part of everything the Resource Center tries to prevent; from the selfishness and cruelty of power and control that’s behind sexual assault, to so many others things that happen inside and outside the home.
AUDIO: And this all comes together with our prevention work that we do. It’s not just sexual assault and abuse that we’re preventing. We’re teaching people how to have healthy relationships. So; dating violence, domestic violence, bullying, physical fighting. Our programs are addressing all of those things that can be very connected.
Chief Yates says, yes, Danville has a very young police force right now, but that can be a strength. Yates says he’s received numerous phone calls after domestic violence situations thanking him for an officer that showed that they care, and that they understand the issue.
