KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Amid recent spikes in instances of domestic violence, Kent County advocates and leaders want to create a court that specializes in those cases.
“We can’t ignore domestic violence,” said Tara Aday. “If we want our communities to be healthy and safe, we have to be addressing this domestic violence issue.”
Aday co-chairs the Domestic Violence Community Coordinated Response Team (DVCCRT) alongside Chris Becker, Kent County’s prosecutor.
According to DVCCRT, the county is on track to double the number of domestic violence related homicides from the year prior.
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In 2021, the prosecutor’s office charged 1,308 domestic violence cases, the highest number since 2017.
DVCCRT adds the complexity of the cases also poses a challenge, with many of them requiring additional resources in order to respond accordingly.
In response to the issue, DVCCRT applied for $10 million in COVID-19 relief money to create a domestic violence court.
According to Aday, it would put into place a specialized group that includes a judge, advocates, and others who understand the layered issue.
The goal is to reduce near fatal and fatal domestic violence instances for adults and children.
“When you have a specialty court, you have a team of people that can understand the nuance and complexity around domestic violence,” said Aday. “[It can] also create the mechanisms to both ensure domestic violence survivor stories are actually understood by the folks making decisions and then when it comes to things like sentencing and probation and all of those things, team members ensure the accountability of the abusers.”
READ MORE:Kent County domestic violence task force releases recommendations, key findings
Several other counties in Michigan have domestic violence courts, including Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties.
Susan Clark, a domestic violence survivor, says under the current system, victims often go unrecognized.
“With other people that I’ve talked to that were going through criminal court as part of their process, I think the things that I’m hearing over and over again are, ‘I’m not being heard, I’m not being taken seriously,’” said Clark.
She believes a domestic violence court would help victims heal and bring about the justice they deserve.
“It [the DV court] says, ‘We see you and we hear you, we believe your experience,’ and not just, ‘Hey, good job, thanks for speaking up,’” said Clark.
The Kent County Board of Commissioners will review the proposal during a work session on Friday.
A decision on whether it receives funding is expected in mid-November.
To read DVCCRT’s full proposal, click here.
If you or someone you know needs help, the following organizations can help.
Call or text (616) 452-6664 to reach Safe Haven Ministries or click hereto chat with an advocate.
To reach the YWCA of West Central Michigan, call or text (616) 454-9922. To talk to an advocate, click here.
Both organizations have 24/7 help lines.
