Local agencies promote Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As the Town of Windsor continues to grow, so does the number of
domestic violence calls to the Windsor Police Department.
The number of calls went from 251 in 2001 to 290 in 2002, a
trend the Sheriff’s Department would like to see reversed.
“We don’t tolerate domestic violence in this county,” said
Sonoma County Sheriff Detective Sergeant Greg Contos, who heads the
Sheriff’s Domestic Violence/ Sexual Assault unit. “If we come out
and there is any evidence of a physical assault, an arrest will be
made.”
In an attempt to educate the public and decrease the amount of
domestic violence in Windsor, the town is participating in Domestic
Violence Awareness Month during October. Various organizations and
police agencies will be participating in activities, and the
participants believe it will make a difference.
“We’ve worked really well with law enforcement and it’s made a
real difference in this community,” said Tiffany Mitchell, a
domestic violence victim advocate with the Young Women’s Christian
Association. “We don’t need to live with violence. I think
education is the biggest asset that we have. The more we educate
ourselves, the less violent our communities will be. It’s our goal
to empower victims.”
The YWCA is a nationwide organization that strives to create
opportunities for women’s growth, leadership and power. The
organization has a location in Santa Rosa, and places
representatives into local communites, including Windsor.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month across the United
States, and the YWCA will spend the initial weeks of the month
promoting awareness before holding its “Week Without Violence” on
Oct. 19-25. During that week, the YWCA will hold outreach programs,
a Harmony Walk in Santa Rosa on October 23, and will aid in putting
up purple flags to remember each of the domestic violence calls
placed with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Depart-ment.
The flags will be going up in front of the Sonoma County
Sheriff’s building in Santa Rosa. In unincorporated Sonoma County,
there were 2,400 domestic violence calls last year, and each call
will receive its own flag. The YWCA and the Sheriff’s Department
are working hand in hand to lower that number this year.
The YWCA defines domestic violence as “threatening behavior that
seeks to control and exercise power over another, which can include
one of the following: emotional abuse, verbal abuse, psychological
abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, and threats
of abuse or violence to children or pets.”
The YWCA offers a 24-hour hotline, providing free confidential
information, support and services. The hotline can be reached by
calling 546-1234, and Spanish speakers are available to speak to
callers.