SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County’s domestic violence crisis is no secret; KSAT reports extensively on the issue and has tracked a court-ordered commission since it began in 2019.
The Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence (CCDV) was created to assess our abuse problem and find ways to fill the many gaps in prevention and service.
It joined leaders from every community sector, from law enforcement and judicial to health and education.
This month, they released a required self-assessment at the culmination of their original five-year plan.
“Improving the protective order process for all of those involved, improving the justice system process, expanding legal capacity for families, dealing with domestic violence on the civil side,” said 150th Civil District Court Judge Monique Diaz.
Judge Diaz mainly handles domestic violence civil cases, and in 2019, became the co-chair and one of the creators of the CCDV.
Protective orders
The protective order process has come under fire for years, so survivors are celebrating these changes.
“We have shortened the time period to serve respondents with protective orders, increasing safety for those families. We have expanded the legal capacity for folks to apply for protective orders,” Diaz said.
The biggest change noticeable to survivors is the availability to now apply for protective orders online.
“After COVID, with the help of the Bexar County Family Justice Center, we created a process that was not available before,” Diaz said.
It also ensures people know that getting a protective order will now connect them with services.
“Ensure that when you’re getting a protective order, you’re also getting services for the whole family: counseling for the person that’s used harm, for the children and for the applicant, things like that to ensure that the family is safe from moving forward,” Diaz said.
Law enforcement
The community’s other huge concern has been interaction with law enforcement.
“That interaction is critical, as they are the first individuals to be able to attest to what’s happening with that family,” said CCDV Co-Chair and Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez.
The San Antonio police department transitioned to a victim-centered model in 2020. This model seeks to minimize re-traumatization associated with the criminal justice process by providing support through crisis advocates and service providers, empowering survivors as engaged participants in the process, and supporting victims and their families for as long as needed.
While funding has always been an issue, the city council freed up funds a few years ago to add 20 new detectives to the police department so that it could provide services to the victims overnight and also during the weekend.
If this issue is to be addressed 24/7, more experts are needed, and they need to have a deep understanding of trauma-informed care.
“We actually transitioned the crisis response advocates that we had in the police department and moved them to Metro Health, and almost triple(d) the number of advocates that we have today,” Villagomez said.
That system, combining more detectives and advocates, has created a situation in which they’re less overwhelmed and can stick with cases longer.
“The difference is now that we stay with the victim for as long as they want us to stay with them, rather than not just when we’re investigating the case,” Villagomez said.
The commission has also coordinated training for SAPD and BCSO focusing on what’s called a lethality assessment, how likely it is that a victim at a scene is at risk of dying from abuse.
“At SAPD a new danger assessment that we implemented last year. We actually have three of our seven substations that are using it (with) three more to go,” Villagomez said.
At the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, KSAT has extensively reported on a new assessment partnership with STRAC that started in 2021.
The Domestic Violence Navigation Line is the first of its kind, connecting the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office to a 24/7 call center to assess a survivor’s level of risk for serious harm or death and connect them with available resources.
“To be able to determine if somebody needs to be removed from a situation that could endanger their lives,” Villagomez said.
Removing guns from perpetrators
Another crucial goal was not only to address the connection between guns and domestic violence but to take action.
The commission reports that the presence of a firearm in a household increases the chance of domestic violence homicide by 500%.
“We’ve seen here in Texas alone, in 2022, 70 percent of women who were murdered by domestic violence were murdered by a firearm. And over the last ten years in Texas, the rate of domestic violence homicide by firearm has doubled,” Diaz said.
The commission has attempted to strengthen compliance with court orders, requiring a convicted domestic violence offender to turn in their guns. There were two probation positions added that focus solely on following up with those perpetrators who have been ordered to turn in their guns.
Community education
A big focus was set on prevention, meaning educating the community about what domestic violence entails, what resources they have, and how to have healthy relationships.
The commission developed the Annual Domestic Violence Awareness Symposium to facilitate education on current practices to prevent, intervene, and provide support for people who have experienced domestic violence, whether as a survivor or a person who has caused harm.
KSAT has facilitated several town halls during those symposiums addressing the specific topics being highlighted each year.
They also developed a communications campaign by partnering with city, business, and community stakeholders to make public service announcements that aired on local TV stations.
From 2020 to 2022, they distributed more than 10,000 decals to restaurants, businesses, government agencies, and community organizations, which help people quickly identify local domestic violence intervention and support services.
Future goals
The co-chairs are proud of all these accomplishments but are transparent about the fact that there is still a lot of work to do.
They’re hearing that from survivors, which is why the strategic plan for the next five-year plan is heavily focused on their input.
“In the next 12 months, to be able to do a survey and ask them, ‘How are we doing?” Villagomez said.
They also plan to expand that community education to other platforms.
“That involves social media. We want to meet people where they are,” Diaz said.
The other pillar focuses on educating families early in life on what a healthy relationship is. These lessons can not only prevent violence in general, but they can break long-term cycles of violence.
Anyone who wants to learn more or get involved in the CCDV, head to their website.
You can read the CCDV’s full progress report and strategic plan below:
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence, there is so much help for you. KSAT has a long list of resources on its Domestic Violence webpage, which also explains how to identify the different types of abuse.
If it’s an emergency, text or call 911. For wrap around services including the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter, call Family Violence Prevention Services at (210) 703-8810. You can also contact the Bexar County Family Justice Center that also provides wrap around services at (210) 631-0100.