NEWBURGH—Orange County was one of two places in the state to receive a grant for a two-year Lethality Risk Assessment Program that aims to stop domestic violence before it happens.
The $200,000 grant was awarded to Orange County by the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence to study the risk factors, both of victims and abusers, so that law enforcement and other agencies know where to focus their energy to prevent domestic violence.
“It tells us who’s going to offend, why they’re going to offend, and who is at the greatest risk to injure their intimate partner,” said District Attorney David Hoovler at a press conference in Newburgh to mark the beginning of October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
For abusers, they will look at data like pistol permits, access to weapons, and history of abuse.
For victims, they will study which ones are most likely to get injured and why, Hoovler said.
The pilot project is starting in the City of Newburgh, and will be a collaboration between the district attorney’s office, the City of Newburgh Police Department, and Safe Homes of Orange County, the premier agency working to end intimate partner violence, teen dating violence, and human trafficking in the county.
Part of the program will be doing follow up visits with victims of domestic abuse, and offering them police escort services if they want it.
The funding started Oct. 1 and already they have a coordinator who is working with the three agencies out of the City of Newburgh Police Department.
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