Westminster Police recognized for combating Domestic Violence
October 30, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff
October 30, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff
Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/nub9t
Photo caption: The “2009 Lethality Assessment Award” was presented to the Westminster Police Department on October 23, 2009 from Maryland Networks Against Domestic Violence [http://www.mnadv.org/.] Receiving the award are Chief Jeff Spaulding and Lieutenant Misty Budzinski. Submitted photo.
Recently the Westminster Police Department received a statewide recognition from the Maryland Networks Against Domestic Violence.
The “2009 Lethality Assessment Award” was presented to Chief Jeff Spaulding and Lieutenant Misty Budzinski on October 23 at a ceremony in which Governor Martin O’Malley and Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown also participated.
The award recognizes the work of “individuals and organizations from around the State who excelled in their contributions to the safety and well-being of victims of domestic violence across the State,” according to information provided by the Westminster Police Department.
The web site for the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV) [http://www.mnadv.org/]says the advocacy organization “has been working since 1980 to eliminate domestic violence in Maryland through education, training, and advocacy.
“As Maryland's state coalition, the Network works together with local domestic violence programs as well as criminal justice and law enforcement personnel, legal advocates, health care and social service providers, clergy, educators, businesses, community groups, and concerned individuals to promote a coordinated community response to end domestic violence.”
The Westminster Police Department “was selected for the award because they successfully screened 93% of the domestic violence victims that they encountered during the previous year – 56% of these victims subsequently participating in follow-up services with local domestic violence counselors provided through a partnership with Family and Children Services of Central Maryland, [http://www.fcsmd.org/.]” according to information from a media release from the department.
“The Department’s success rates were the highest in the State for the past year. This was the third year for the Lethality Assessment Award Program in Maryland. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Anne Arundel County Police Department were the two previous recipients of the award.”
Maria L. Oesterreicher, the senior assistant state's attorney and domestic violence unit Supervisor for the Carroll County State's Attorney's Office noted that Carroll County “also unanimously won a quarterly award this year that was voted on by the Lethality Advisory Board for having the highest percentage of high-risk clients coming in for services, 56%, with the next closest County being Montgomery with 34%.
“Basically that means that 56% of all victims who completed a Lethality Assessment at the scene of a domestic violence call in Carroll County followed up by seeking services from Family & Children’s Services,” said Oesterreicher.
In a recent interview with Spaulding he noted that in addition to the Westminster department’s care and concern for the welfare of victims of domestic violence; calls for such incidences are a major cause of harm for the responding officers as well as members of the family involved.
Anything that we can reduce those calls is a good thing for everyone involved, said Spaulding.
“Lethality assessment is a quick and accurate way for police officers and domestic violence counselors to determine with a high degree of accuracy the potential for future serious violence or death in a relationship,” Spaulding explained.
“Officers handling domestic violence incidents are required to screen victims utilizing a lethality assessment tool – a survey of 11 validated questions,” according to information from Westminster Police Department.
“Those victims screened as being at “high risk” of future violence, based upon their answers to the questions, are immediately placed in phone contact with a domestic violence counselor who speaks with them about their circumstances and discusses safety planning and the resources available to the victim. The assessment process is being used around the country with excellent results.”
Check back here and - or http://www.explorecarroll.com/ for more information and the rest of this article which I just filed with Explore Carroll…
The “2009 Lethality Assessment Award” was presented to Chief Jeff Spaulding and Lieutenant Misty Budzinski on October 23 at a ceremony in which Governor Martin O’Malley and Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown also participated.
The award recognizes the work of “individuals and organizations from around the State who excelled in their contributions to the safety and well-being of victims of domestic violence across the State,” according to information provided by the Westminster Police Department.
The web site for the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV) [http://www.mnadv.org/]says the advocacy organization “has been working since 1980 to eliminate domestic violence in Maryland through education, training, and advocacy.
“As Maryland's state coalition, the Network works together with local domestic violence programs as well as criminal justice and law enforcement personnel, legal advocates, health care and social service providers, clergy, educators, businesses, community groups, and concerned individuals to promote a coordinated community response to end domestic violence.”
The Westminster Police Department “was selected for the award because they successfully screened 93% of the domestic violence victims that they encountered during the previous year – 56% of these victims subsequently participating in follow-up services with local domestic violence counselors provided through a partnership with Family and Children Services of Central Maryland, [http://www.fcsmd.org/.]” according to information from a media release from the department.
“The Department’s success rates were the highest in the State for the past year. This was the third year for the Lethality Assessment Award Program in Maryland. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Anne Arundel County Police Department were the two previous recipients of the award.”
Maria L. Oesterreicher, the senior assistant state's attorney and domestic violence unit Supervisor for the Carroll County State's Attorney's Office noted that Carroll County “also unanimously won a quarterly award this year that was voted on by the Lethality Advisory Board for having the highest percentage of high-risk clients coming in for services, 56%, with the next closest County being Montgomery with 34%.
“Basically that means that 56% of all victims who completed a Lethality Assessment at the scene of a domestic violence call in Carroll County followed up by seeking services from Family & Children’s Services,” said Oesterreicher.
In a recent interview with Spaulding he noted that in addition to the Westminster department’s care and concern for the welfare of victims of domestic violence; calls for such incidences are a major cause of harm for the responding officers as well as members of the family involved.
Anything that we can reduce those calls is a good thing for everyone involved, said Spaulding.
“Lethality assessment is a quick and accurate way for police officers and domestic violence counselors to determine with a high degree of accuracy the potential for future serious violence or death in a relationship,” Spaulding explained.
“Officers handling domestic violence incidents are required to screen victims utilizing a lethality assessment tool – a survey of 11 validated questions,” according to information from Westminster Police Department.
“Those victims screened as being at “high risk” of future violence, based upon their answers to the questions, are immediately placed in phone contact with a domestic violence counselor who speaks with them about their circumstances and discusses safety planning and the resources available to the victim. The assessment process is being used around the country with excellent results.”
Check back here and - or http://www.explorecarroll.com/ for more information and the rest of this article which I just filed with Explore Carroll…
20091030 sdsomked de SCEArt WPD Lethality Award
Carroll Co States Attorney, Law Order, Non-profits Family Children’s Services, Public Safety Domestic Violence, Westminster Police Chief Spaulding-Jeff, Westminster Police Dept
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/11/westminster-police-receives-2009.html http://tinyurl.com/yzo8jzc
Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/nub9t
Carroll Co States Attorney, Law Order, Non-profits Family Children’s Services, Public Safety Domestic Violence, Westminster Police Chief Spaulding-Jeff, Westminster Police Dept
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/11/westminster-police-receives-2009.html http://tinyurl.com/yzo8jzc
Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/nub9t
*****
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