October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Dutchess County Sheriff Adrian ”Butch” Anderson and the men and women of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Family Services Center for Victim’s Safety and Support, would like to take this opportunity to speak out against domestic violence and remind everyone that October is Domestic Violence Awareness month.
Each and every year millions of people throughout the United States are affected by domestic violence, and the statistics are alarming. Please consider the following few statistics published by the National Domestic Violence Hotline:

• On average 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the U.S. – that’s more than 12 million per year.
• Nearly 3 in 10 women and 1 in 10 men in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
• 1 in 6 women in the U.S. have experienced stalking in their lifetime during which they felt fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
• A child witnessed violence in 22% of all intimate partner cases filed in state courts.
• There is a strong link between domestic violence and child abuse; 40% of child abuse victims report domestic violence in the home.

The statistics above are only a few out of many, but indicate a disturbing trend regarding domestic violence throughout the entire country. In Dutchess County alone there were over 3,800 documented domestic incidents in 2017 – and those are just the ones that were reported. The good news is that it can be prevented and it’s within our power to stop it. We need everyone’s help to take a stand and spread the word that domestic violence will not be tolerated in Dutchess County. Victims of domestic violence have a strong voice and many services available to them. In Dutchess County domestic violence is, and will continue to be, taken extremely seriously by law enforcement and victim service organizations. Our mission is to do everything within our power to see that victims get the support they need and offenders are brought to justice.

Please join us in spreading the word that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In Dutchess County we need everyone’s help to achieve our goal of eradicating domestic violence. We urge you to please get involved by supporting awareness and helping us take action. If you would like to get involved please consider attending the following two events taking place later this month:

• Family Services 8th Annual Walk a Mile – 10/13/18 from 9a – 12p at All Sport Health & Fitness in Fishkill
• Family Services Center for Victim Safety and Support Candlelight Vigil to commemorate and support victims and survivors of domestic violence – 10/24/18 from 5:30p – 6:30p at the Family Partnership on No. Hamilton St in Poughkeepsie.

Sheriff Anderson is also proud to announce that the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office has lettered one of its patrol vehicles in support of domestic violence victims and general awareness. This vehicle will be used for both patrol and special events, and is scheduled to be present for the two events above. Please support domestic violence awareness both in October and throughout the entire year, always remember the victims that can no longer speak for themselves, and let’s do everything that we can to support this great cause.

Several law enforcement agencies in Dutchess County, including the Sheriff’s Office, have in-house domestic violence advocates that are ready and willing to help. If you, or a loved one, are in need of assistance please contact law enforcement or the Family Services Center for Victim Safety and Support 24-hour Domestic Violence hotline at 845-485-5550.