White Plains
Expanding on the county’s mission to reduce domestic violence cases throughout Westchester County, the Office for Women (OFW) received a federal grant for the Westchester County Domestic Violence High Risk Team (DVHRT). David Ryan, a former Pound Ridge Police Chief for the past 23 years and a member of law enforcement for more than 40 years, will fill the new role through a contract with Hope’s Door, a domestic violence service provider with headquartered in Westchester funded by the United States Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.
Ryan will be responsible for reviewing domestic violence cases from a law enforcement perspective, following the County Executive’s commitment to improving community/police response to family violence.
The Team will help connect victims with the appropriate service providers. Ryan, along with DVHRT Coordinator Nancy Tunis of OFW, will oversee ongoing DVHRT training of the county’s local police departments, with the remaining five police departments scheduled to train this fall.
“Our Office for Women is a model for New York State and the country in response to serious family violence and intimate partner violence training. We introduced the DVHRT program in an attempt to prevent high-risk violence in the future, and we have seen this training pay dividends in the communities that are already using it. This program is effective because our police are participating in training with other members of law enforcement and, with their help, we are working to establish long-term safety for our victims,” said County Executive George Latimer.
OFW Director Robi Schlaff said, “When looking at all the partners involved in protecting a family from domestic violence, law enforcement is often the first point of contact. We are fortunate to have the most professional and competent partners in law enforcement here in Westchester. Our greatest concern will always be protecting the safety of Westchester County residents and families, and by working together with our police, we know we can successfully achieve that goal.”
Of the county’s 42 local police departments, only one remains to be trained, with Mount Vernon, Larchmont and Harrison scheduled for September.
[tabs type=”horizontal”][tabs_head][tab_title]THE NEW DIRECTOR SPEAKS[/tab_title][/tabs_head][tab]“Reducing the risk of violence stemming from domestic disputes has always been my passion, and when you have a long career in law enforcement, it is possible to experience too many tragic and violent homicides. I’ve seen enough pain and suffering over the years that I knew could have been avoided, so I personally have an interest in seeing this show succeed. We have seen a dramatic difference in how our police officers respond with this new training, and while public safety will always be our mantra, we take a much more empathetic and compassionate approach when engaging with victims of domestic violence.”[/tab][/tabs]
Posted on September 29, 2022
