By Anthony V. Coppola, Staff Writer
EAST WINDSOR For 10 years the township Police Department and a group of volunteers have offered victims of domestic violence a place to turn. During that span, the collaboration has paved the way for thousands of victims in Mercer County’s 12 other municipalities to obtain similar support.
And while the success of the Domestic Violence Victim Response Team is seen across the county, with all local police departments and the state police taking advantage, volunteer Janet Ginest believes the place where the partnership laid its roots has the most successful branch.
”There is a real sense of commitment and respect between police officers and volunteers at the East Windsor Police Department,” the 45-year-old township resident said.
Those feelings are mutual, according to Police Chief William Spain an integral source in forming the first team.
”From the very beginning I greatly admired our DVVRT volunteers, who were willing to undertake months of training and then engage in this very important work,” he said. “Over the course of the last 10 years I have marveled at their dedication to this cause and their capacity for kindness to domestic violence victims.”
The team, which marked its 10-year anniversary last month, operates under the direction of Womanspace, a nonprofit Mercer County-based organization that provides services to individuals and families affected by domestic and sexual violence.’
For Mary, of Ewing, and her two children, the DVVRT “provided light at the end of a long, black tunnel.” In January, she found herself in the Ewing Township police station at 1 a.m. feeling “lost and alone” as a victim of domestic violence. But she was “warmed immediately” by the responsiveness of the volunteer that met with her.
”You’re just in awe,” she said. “It’s really amazing to think someone is willing to come out at any moment and sit with you to discuss your options.”
Mary said she and her children are in Womanspace’s transitional housing program, an opportunity for shelter while victims work to get their lives back on track.
DVVRT volunteers participate in 40 to 80 hours of training from Womanspace. Team members, who total 80 countywide, are on-call three times per month for 12-hour shifts starting at either 6:30 a.m. or p.m. Some members, like Ms. Ginest, allow themselves to be on-call 24 hours a day.
When the Police Department receives a domestic violence call, a team member is paged to the station to meet with the victim in a private setting.
”Police have an important job to do and that is upholding the law,” Ms. Ginest said. “When we get to the station, our primary focus is helping the victim get through a crisis.”
And the teams help plenty of people. In 2007, the network of responders across the county served 593 victims, 115 of their children and 53 additional relatives. Of those, the East Regional branch which covers East and West Windsor, Hightstown and Robbinsville handled 164 victims, 50 children and 17 relatives, according to Ms. Ginest. To date, the network has served more than 4,000 victims, just under 500 of them male.
Though she’s been with the 25-member East Regional team since its conception, Ms. Ginest said she has no intentions of calling it quits.
”It has been a decade and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon,” she said. “A long time ago someone was nice to me when I was going through a hard time and I want to offer that same type of assistance.”
For Anne Ciemniecki, 56, of East Windsor, a newspaper ad and passion for women’s issues prompted her interest in volunteering. The 25-year township resident said it was time for her to move beyond school fundraisers.
”Being in the moment with the victim is a wonderful thing,” she added. “You’re the calmness, the eye of the hurricane in the midst of the storm.”
Having no background or knowledge of domestic violence before starting with the East Regional team 10 years ago, Ms. Ciemniecki said she’s been able to shed some preconceived notions about the victims.
”I used to think that they just weren’t strong enough and that something like that couldn’t happen to me,” she said. “But it could happen to me and they are very strong and put up with more than anyone can imagine.”
Like her colleague, Ms. Ciemniecki feels the relationship with the Police Department is excellent. And, as she does with victims, she sees a different side of police officers.
”Before, I thought of them for speeding traps and parking tickets but it’s about buying a kid something to eat or driving to someone’s house to turn off their oven,” she said. “They see and deal with so much every day.”
Now that it is a large part of her life, Ms. Ciemniecki said she can’t imagine not being a DVVRT member.
”This is the kind of program where you get as much as you give,” she said.
