omestic violence is pervasive in Clark County. In 2008, the Domestic Violence Prosecution Center filed 1,750 misdemeanor cases and 261 felony cases. In recent years, the YWCA’s SafeChoice Domestic Violence Program — which offers comprehensive services including safe housing for victims — has helped more than 5,000 people annually. Last year, the program answered more than 4,000 crisis calls and more than 15,000 informational calls.
The pervasiveness of this crime is not exclusive to our community. According to the World Health Organization, 22 percent of American women have experienced domestic violence.
These statistics are appalling, but even more horrifying is the belief by law enforcement authorities and social workers that domestic violence is one of society’s most under-reported crimes. In other words, the statistics reveal only part of the overall brutality.
At the local level, the YWCA has performed at heroic levels in the battle against familial battering, and it’s not just the skilled, caring and hard-working staff members. Last year, 79 volunteers contributed 2,432 hours serving victims of domestic abuse.
At the state level, Attorney General Rob McKenna and his staff have likewise championed the crusade against domestic violence. Unfortunately, the Legislature has not kept pace. As Kathie Durbin reported in Monday’s Columbian, McKenna introduced legislation this year that would require courts to consider full criminal records, including past misdemeanor convictions, at sentencing for domestic violence felonies. The law would have applied only to the worst of the worst, about 10 percent of abusers. Astonishingly, the bill stalled in committee.
What McKenna wants most in this prosecutorial priority is simple: Tougher sentencing for repeat offenders. For example, if a man is convicted of a first-time felony, under current law he would be subject to a sentence of three to nine months. But if he had two prior misdemeanors involving domestic violence, the new law would increase the sentence to between 13 and 17 months. McKenna says he will introduce the law again next year. Good for him. We urge legislators to match the attorney general’s tenacity in this area.
There are some encouraging signs in the battle against this crime. In addition to the efforts of the local YWCA and McKenna, interagency cooperation in Clark County has been extensive and productive. Law enforcement officers and corrections officers are coordinating their efforts with the Domestic Violence Prosecution Center, which includes three Vancouver city prosecutors and three county prosecutors working solely on domestic violence cases.
Also, training efforts are being enhanced. Vancouver has been awarded a $300,000 federal grant that — in part — will pay for training and overtime for officers assigned to domestic violence cases.
Restricting these efforts, however, are old and lingering misconceptions. Many people believe domestic violence can be handled in the marital structure itself, or through marriage counseling. In some cases, perhaps, but not when violence erupts and especially not when it repeats. Consider this analogy about domestic violence offered in Durbin’s story by Vancouver Police Sgt. Mike Davis: “If a stranger were to do it, it would be total shock and awe. But if it’s a domestic violence case, often there is not that sense of alarm.” Always, though, there should be.
