With New Pilot, Bayview Aims To Reduce Domestic Violence

With New Pilot, Bayview Aims To Reduce Domestic ViolenceDr Emily Murase of the Dept. On the Status of Women, SFPD Chief William Scott,  Chuck Collins CEO of YMCA, Kathy Black of La Casa De Las Madras, Mayor Ed Lee and Dr. Kennith Kim of Glide Foundation. | Photo: Meaghan M. Mitchell/Hoodline 
Meaghan M. Mitchell
Published on June 07, 2017

Today, the city launched a three-year pilot program in Bayview that will help identify victims of domestic violence at the highest risk of serious injury or death and connect them with organizations who can provide support.

Funded by a $750,000 grant from the US Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women, the pilot is being rolled out in Bayview, San Francisco's most at-risk neighborhood for domestic violence. The district makes up 18 percent of the city's domestic violence cases reported since 2003. 

"Starting with the Bayview," said Mayor Ed Lee, "I think this can be a model to prevent violence in general. Domestic violence is not tolerable in San Francisco.” 

Protestors against domestic violence on International Women's Day, 2017. | Photo: La Casa de Las Madres/Twitter

The initiative is a collaboration between multiple city agencies and nonprofits in Bayview and across the city, including the Office of the Mayor, SFPD, the District Attorney’s Office, the Department on the Status of Women, Bayview YMCA, La Casa de las Madres, and Glide Foundation.

Eventually, if the pilot is successful, it will be launched citywide.

“We were able to eliminate domestic violence homicides in San Francisco from 2010-2014, and we hope this project will be another tool we can use to get back to zero domestic violence homicides in our City,” said Dr. Emily Murase, director of the Department on the Status of Women at a press conference held yesterday at Bayview Police Station.

She noted that since 2014, domestic violence homicide cases have increased to two to three victims a year.

Chuck Collins of YMCA speaking at the press conference. | Photo: Office of Mayor Ed Lee/Twitter

The program operates with a screening tool compiled of 11 questions potential victims are required to answer and identifies high risk factors in domestic violence cases.

Answering ‘yes’ to a certain number of questions will connect potential victims directly with an advocate from La Casa de las Madres, a Mission district organization that provides a 24-hour domestic violence crisis hotline and emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Founded in 1976, La Casa de las Madres was the first domestic violence shelter established in California. As part of the pilot, it plans to host an advocate at the Bayview YMCA at their family resource center.

“Our great hope is to get back to those 2014 numbers, and that it will never happen without the support of our partners, said Chuck Collins, president and CEO of the YMCA. “We hope to use the Bayview community as an example to the world about how to stop domestic violence."

One particular issue that he called out was how domestic violence affected children. "The child is the proxy for the future and if we can prevent them from being exposed to violence and trauma, they will have a very different narrative," he noted. "We want to ensure that they live in safe environments surrounded by responsible adults and communities where they can feel safe.“

This program model is a first for San Francisco, but according to data provided by the SF Department on the Status of Women, it has been implemented in at least 100 counties over 14 states. Victims who took advantage of the program’s services in Maryland resulted in a 34% decrease in lethal domestic violence cases from July 2007 to June 2012.

“We are excited to pilot this program and believe that the Bayview is an area where we can make a difference," said SFPD chief William Scott. “With the evidence-based lethality screening tool, we should be able to understand the patterns which indicate that a relationship might be a lethal one. We are hopeful that this tool will reduce homicide and break that cycle of violence.”

For more information on this program, contact the Director of Women’s Policy, Minouche Kandel via email.