When D.C. police Officer Chante Brodie noticed a surge in domestic violence in some parts of upper Northwest, she knew more had to be done. So Brodie helped organize a domestic violence informational workshop scheduled for Feb. 6 at the North Michigan Park Recreation Center.
“There will be a great deal of information for anyone who is trying to get out of a violent relationship or identify a domestic violence situation,” Brodie said.
Discussion topics will range from recognizing emotional and physical abuse to understanding the legal rights of domestic violence victims. Rosemary Montano-Burgess, who works for the D.C. Victims Compensation Program, said she will speak at the workshop about how her organization can help victims of domestic violence. “We offer financial assistance to victims of crime … [including] medical expenses, lost wages and car rentals,” she said.
Other speakers will include a detective who specializes in domestic violence cases, as well as the On-Call Advocacy Program director Jennifer Lawrence. OCAP is a 24-hour domestic violence advocacy hot line that provides victims with safety planning, legal information and emergency shelter.
A domestic violence related emergency call is received every 17 minutes in the District and D.C. police logged more than 30,000 of these calls in 2008, said Shawndell Dawson of the D.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence,
Domestic violence is “on the rise for certain areas and certain districts, so I decided to put some awareness out there,” Brodie said. “In the Ward 4 area and part of the Ward 5 area, domestic violence calls have increased.”
The workshop on Feb. 6th runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Brodie said other areas of the city have seen a drop in abuse after similar outreach programs were started there. Brodie said she plans to host similar seminars around the 4th Ward in February.
