Mayor Tim Keller, APD, Domestic Violence Prevention Organizations Announce City Action Plan to Address Domestic Violence in Albuquerque

October 31, 2018

Today, Mayor Tim Keller, APD, and Domestic Violence Prevention organizations came together as One Albuquerque and outlined an action plan to address domestic violence.

“We know that across the country and right here in Albuquerque, domestic violence takes a huge toll on families. We’re here today to stand with our partners in the community and say this is unacceptable,” said Mayor Tim Keller.  “We’re coming together as One Albuquerque across departments, with community organizations, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to end the dangerous cycle of domestic violence. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home.”

The Mayor announced an action plan to implement language services which will ensure APD has the resources to communicate with victims who speak other languages. The language access program comes as a result of years of development by the City’s Task Force on Domestic Violence and the Mayor’s commitment to build an inclusive City.

Enlace Comunitario, S.A.F.E. House Albuquerque, Domestic Violence Resource Center, and New Mexico Asian Family Center also provided information on domestic violence and shared resources that are available for survivors.

The Albuquerque domestic violence service providers delivered this message during the event, “Today is the last day of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but – sadly – domestic violence occurs every day of the year. It is an epidemic. Collectively, however, we can have an impact – we can break the cycle of violence. We can positively shift the statistics in the direction of healthy families in Albuquerque and across New Mexico.”

City departments worked during the month of October to bring awareness to the problems associated with domestic violence and spearheaded programs aimed at ending the cycle.

• Department of Senior Affairs incorporated domestic violence awareness resources and information into their events and at local senior centers.
• The City’s Family Advocacy Center is a place where victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault and their families can find a safe setting to assist in addressing and overcoming the trauma of their experience and break the cycle of violence that destroys families.
• AFR began a program that requires all members to complete a domestic violence training program.
• The Office of Equity and Inclusion worked with community partners to make sure the right tools and practices are ready to implement programs aimed at addressing domestic violence.
• Next month, the City is cosponsoring a violence prevention conference with the Bernalillo County Community Health Council at the Convention Center.
• The City provides grant funding for organizations doing critical work to help those experiencing violence at home, including $910 thousand in a request for proposal issued in October by Family and Community Services for domestic violence services.

Crime statistics repeatedly show a link between domestic violence and other criminal activity including homicide, crimes against children, and youth gang involvement. This year, at least 18 percent of homicide cases in Albuquerque were related to domestic violence. Combating domestic violence means safety for those affected today, and also ending other abuse and crimes in the future.

“APD is here to help anyone dealing with domestic violence,” said Sgt. Richard Ingram, who oversees APD’s Family Assault and Stalking Team unit. “We work directly with several service providers to foster and create the most comprehensive approach to combat domestic violence.”

Because domestic violence is linked to other violent crimes, APD has implemented new programs in addition to the language accessibility services, and revamped existing programs to address the issue:

• APD’s Family Abuse and Stalking Training Team (FASTT) implemented an on-going campaign to visit residents door-to-door and speak at Albuquerque high schools in an effort to reach out to residents directly and begin a relationship with potential advocates and those dealing with domestic violence.
• FASTT continually trains and coordinates with the District Attorney’s office to maintain education in current trends in domestic violence and the best tools to combat abuse. 
• APD completely updated their website of the FAC, to include the most up to date resource information, with a focusing on enabling the victim/survivor the easiest connection to resources.
• APD Cadets will receive Domestic Violence Training, with guidance from the City’s community partners in January, and those who are in the Academy this year will receive a module training administered by our Office of Equity and Inclusion.
• The language access program implementation will help APD respond to crimes to help victims who speak other languages.

To learn more about identifying abuse, what you can do to help, and resources for survivors, please contact APD at 242-COPS (242-2677) or visit the City’s domestic violence resource page.