BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – A $400,000 federal grant, which comes during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, was recently was awarded to the City of Blue Springs and Hope House to help develop and strengthen effective responses to violence against women.
“The grant program encourages communities to treat domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking as serious crimes by strengthening the criminal justice response to these crimes and promoting a coordinated community response,” said Susan B. Carbon, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women. “Victim safety and offender accountability are the center piece of projects funded under the program.”
The two-year grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, to the City of Blue Springs and Hope House and the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office to fund the Domestic Violence Collaborative Initiative. The grant provides funding to the City for one full-time domestic violence detective, domestic violence training, departmental costs, a portion of the Municipal Court Prosecutor and Jackson County’s Prosecutor’s Office for domestic violence prosecution. Hope House receives grant funding for a full-time domestic violence advocate, programming and personnel staff.
"The grant award recognizes the work of the Domestic Violence Collaborative Initiative on a national level," Blue Springs Police Chief Wayne McCoy said. "The department will be able to commit the necessary resources to more effectively deal with domestic violence incidents in our community."
“Funding from the Office on Violence Against Women Fiscal Year 2010 Community-Defined Solutions to Violence Against Women Program will be used to facilitate a coordinated response in Blue Springs, Missouri,” said Mary Anne Metheny, chief executive officer of Hope House. “Together, partners ensure a holistic response to victim safety and domestic violence offender accountability."
Domestic violence affects more than 32 million Americans. The federal government reports that approximately 1,300 people are killed by their abusers each year. Nationally, an estimated 70 percent of domestic violence victims do not show up to court when their abusers go to trial, forcing prosecutors to drop the charges.
For more information about the grant, call Dave Williams at (816) 228-0145.
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