Snohomish County is fortunate to have law enforcement agencies and advocates who take domestic violence as seriously as they do other crimes. For the past several years cities and agencies have been working together to prosecute the abusers and help their victims.
Now it’s time for the rest of the community to step up and tackle this issue in the open with the same dedication brought to feeding the hungry during the holiday season.
Granted, it’s much easier to donate food and money to an organization than it is to invest ourselves in a person who is suffering at the hands of her partner. Whether it’s another noisy row at the troubled apartment complex down the street or the brutal death of Crystal Brame at the hands of her police chief husband, domestic violence is more rampant in our communities than many of us know or would ever like to admit.
"If people would get still a moment and think, I guarantee you they would know someone affected by domestic violence," said Vicci Hilty, development director for the Snohomish County Shelter for Battered Women.
The criminal justice community has known for some time how widespread the problem is. Domestic violence calls are one of the most volatile an officer faces. The cities of Everett and Mountlake Terrace have been recognized for tackling the issue with the help of well-deserved federal grants that allow them to run programs that coordinate efforts between officers, advocates and attorneys. The results have been fantastic. And they’re looking for ways to stop the problem before it escalates, and to reach out to women who don’t speak English.
All this hard work has let the rest of us off the hook. It’s too dangerous to get involved, we say. Look at those tragic cases where a woman winds up dead after daring to offer shelter and advice to an abused friend. If we’re too scared to get involved, imagine how the abused woman feels.
Finding a safe way to help is as easy as checking out the Web site for the Snohomish County Center for Battered Women. One of the best things we can do for a woman is listen to her and believe her, Hilty said.
We can also support legislation that helps battered women and children. We can invite domestic violence advocates to our local groups to share information with us. And we can do our part by teaching our children conflict-resolution skills and how to have healthy relationships.
It’s not as easy as dropping off a bag of food and feeling good about yourself the rest of the season, but it’s just as important.
To learn more about how to help victims of domestic violence, check out the Snohomish County Center for Battered Women Web site at www.snococbw.org.
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