New York Assembly Unveils Domestic Violence Prevention Report

One of the region’s representatives to Albany says he is going to push hard for passage of recommendations in the Assembly’s report on domestic violence.  Republican Clifford Crouch called abuse a cancer on society. He says one in four women are victims of domestic violence with those numbers on the rise.

In comments provided by the Assembly media office, Crouch says the Task Force on Preventing Domestic Violence spent part of the fall talking to law enforcement officers, district attorneys, victims and support groups to compile “A Safe Haven: Helping Abuse Victims and Enhancing Protections.”

Crouch says the ‘safe haven’ portion is an important component since many victims have only minute to flee the bad situation and are uncertain of their future from that point.  The Bainbridge Republican says it’s important to make sure the victim, their children and even pets get to safety.

Other portions of the report recommended changes in laws to include hate crimes, a new Domestic Violence in the Presence of a Child crime, and standardized warnings for orders of protection.

The “A Safe Haven: Helping Abuse Victims and Enhancing Protections” report recommends a statewide education campaign to promote healthy relationships, expand the current Family Justice Center model to allow counties in every region to open Domestic Violence Crisis Centers fully-funded by the state and prioritize funding for programs providing shelter, benefits and training for victims and advocates.

The Assembly Minority Conference plans to introduce a package of bills addressing the issues raised in the report.