Domestic Violence Reduction Program begins in
Central District
The Mesa Police Department is dedicated to providing
the type of service that improves the safety and
quality of life for Mesa residents, businesses and
visitors.
It is unfortunate that some of the crime committed
in Mesa involves domestic violence. The Mesa Police
Department is well aware of this reality and is
approaching the problem in a proactive manner by
providing victims
with educational information related to domestic
violence and support at the scene of domestic violence
incidents. You often hear the cliché, “knowledge is
power” and this is certainly true in situations of
domestic violence. Isolation from family and friends, the
denial to be employed, and threats of deportation
are all very common tactics used for controlling the
information accessed by victims. The Domestic Violence
Reduction Pilot Project will be a way of improving
the knowledge and power of a victim. It is often
said that a person will leave a violent relationship 7 to 8
times before permanently leaving the potentially
deadly situation.
The program began in the Central Patrol Division on
May 1, 2008. The Domestic Violence Reduction Pilot
Program will work towards addressing situations
involving domestic violence at an earlier stage, in
hopes of reducing recidivism and the likelihood of more
violent crimes in the future. The Mesa Police
Department's Victim Assistance Volunteer Program requires a
volunteer to complete approximately 40 hours of
training in a variety of areas and will continue to support all
types of victims in all areas of Mesa. The Domestic
Violence Reduction Pilot Project will be made available to
other patrol districts as the number of volunteers
in the Victim Assistance Program increases.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic
violence, information and support can be accessed by
contacting “A New Leaf” East Valley Crisis Hotline
at (480) 835-5555 or (800) 799-7739.
If you are interested in volunteering with the Mesa
Police Department's Victim Assistance Program or
have questions about the Project, please contact Amy
Martinez, Victim Assistance Volunteer Coordinator at
(480) 644-4025.
If you are interested in other volunteer
opportunities within the Mesa Police Department,
contact Linda Bailey, Volunteers in Police Service
Coordinator at (480) 644-2073 or visit
www.cityofmesa.org/police/vips/default.aspx.
