Aug 12, 2007

Beyond the Blotter: Domestic violence affects us all

By Scott Seaman / Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Chief

NIMBY. It's an abbreviation of the phrase, "Not in my backyard," and usually pertains to unwanted changes or development in a community. But it can also be illustrative of a lack of awareness, as in "Things like that don't happen in my town." But when it comes to domestic violence, no community, including Los Gatos, is immune, and people of all races, religions and socio-economic backgrounds, including seniors and juveniles, are affected.

On average, the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department responds to 55 to 60 domestic violence calls each year, but, last month alone, 13 such incidents were reported.

Domestic violence is defined as abuse committed against an adult involved in one of the following nine relationships: spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, dating relationship, former dating relationship, engagement, formerly engaged, or a person with whom the abuser has had a child. Although we typically think of domestic violence as involving a physical injury, the abuse can also be sexual or emotional in nature.

In many cases, it's not the victim who contacts police but rather the neighbors who are subjected to a loud argument or sounds of a physical altercation.

That was the case in one of last month's domestic violence incidents. Shortly after midnight on July 13, a University Avenue resident called to report shouting and crashing noises coming from an adjoining apartment. Officers contacted the residents, a young married couple and discovered that the husband had an injury on his right arm which appeared to be a bite mark. According to both the husband and wife, the woman was depressed and angry and began throwing books inside the apartment. Her husband, who was upstairs in bed, came downstairs after hearing the noise. She bit his arm after he wrapped his arms around his wife in an attempt to calm her and prevent her from throwing more objects. After an investigation, the officers placed the woman under arrest for felony domestic violence.

While most perpetrators of domestic violence are men, the case above illustrates that both men and woman can be victimized, and research has shown that the most effective way to protect victims and break the cycle of domestic violence is by arresting the abuser. Numerous local resources also exist to aid victims, including 24-hour hotlines, emergency shelters, counseling and more.

Information on available resources can be found on the Web sites listed below:

* County of Santa Clara Domestic Violence Council: dvc.sccgov.org

* Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence: www.nextdoor.org/

* Santa Clara County Victim Witness Assistance Center: www.victim.org/

* Santa Clara County Superior Court (restraining order information): www.scselfservice.org/ro/default.htm

Awareness that domestic violence occurs in our community is a crucial first step in combating the problem. It's also important to realize that domestic violence seldom stops without intervention. On the contrary, the physical violence usually becomes more severe with each incident. If you are a victim or know someone who is, speak out. Don't keep quiet hoping it will stop. For more information, contact the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department at 408-354-8600.