Military, local government
join forces to stop abuse
By josh davidson
Staff Writer
COLTS NECK — A new partnership providing support for domestic violence victims is the first of its kind in the state, and is expected to benefit residents and local military personnel.
A crisis intervention team for domestic violence victims was unveiled at a press conference at Colts Neck Town Hall on Aug. 19.
The new intervention team begins a partnership between the township and its police department; 180 Turning Lives Around, Hazlet; and Naval Weapons Station Earle, Colts Neck.
The team will be available to both non-military and military residents in the township.
The partnership is the first in the state to bring together local government and the military.
"We are here to mark a unique and historic partnership," said Jeannette North, 180’s associate director. "Today, we are very proud to unveil our new Colts Neck Crisis Intervention Team. We’re proud to be involved in a cutting-edge partnership that puts victims of domestic violence first."
"We congratulate 180, Turning Lives Around for all their leadership, initiatives and efforts," Monmouth County Free-holder Theodore Narozanick said.
"This work started in 2002 and has now culminated itself into a response team to be ready when needed, beginning in Septem-ber," Deputy Mayor Lillian Burry said.
The committee will focus on protecting the health and safety of township residents, she added.
"The most important aspect of the program is 180 and its volunteers, who step forward in the community to help those impacted by domestic violence," Colts Neck police Cpl. Kevin Walsh said.
The crisis team will provide volunteer advocates to help domestic violence victims. The advocates will receive 40 hours of domestic violence training, and take part in monthly group meetings and separate individual meetings, while being given 24/7 backup support, North said.
A $5,000 grant to the Colts Neck Police Department from the state Division of Criminal Justice will provide funding for the training.
Anyone can volunteer to become an advocate, North said. Potential volunteers are interviewed, first.
"We have some who are in a counseling-type field, and a lot of them who are not," North said.
The advocate will be available to meet with the victim at the police station, not the domestic violence scene, Walsh said. At Earle, the advocate will meet the victim at a safe location away from the scene, North said.
Walsh was key in putting the program together using other crisis intervention teams and police departments in the area as examples, Colts Neck Police Chief Kevin Sauter said.
During domestic violence calls in the old days, police would break up a fight at a residence and be on their way, without fully solving the problem, Walsh said. Police were more concerned with handling the offender, he said.
"It just didn’t resolve a situation or help the victim," he said. "The situation was repeated on and on with repeated police responses."
Times have changed, and with the program, victims will have an advocate in their corner to provide emotional support, legal advice, safety program information and resources, he said. "Now we have somebody there for the victim," Walsh said.
It takes a partnership like this to properly handle domestic violence situations and its victims, he said.
"On a social aspect, community domestic violence needs to be addressed and become a priority for law enforcement," he said.
People in the military may be hesitant to report domestic violence, for fear it would hurt careers, said U.S. Navy Capt. Bobbie Scholley, an Earle commanding officer.
While ignored on military bases in the past, domestic violence is beginning to get the attention it needs, she said.
About 450 families live on the Earle base, Scholley said.
The Navy also has its own domestic violence experts to assist in those situations, she said.
In a domestic violence case at a residence, if a victim exhibits signs of injury, the state requires police to arrest the offender, Walsh said. The offender would have a no-contact order issued, and shelter would be provided for the victims, he said.
Police are mandated to request a temporary restraining order, and later a permanent restraining order, be placed on the offender, Sauter said.
Since the Navy owns the housing on Earle, officials can move the offender out and leave the victims at the residence, Scholley said.