Transitions in the News--Lethality Assessment Program
We are proud to participate in the Lethality Assessment Program locally, and were happy to share information with The Daily Item. Here is the text of the article:
July 20, 2014
July 20, 2014
Program boosts aid to domestic-abuse victims
A program designed to get domestic abuse victims into a shelter to reduce their chances of being assaulted again or becoming a homicide victim is being picked up by Central Susquehanna Valley police departments.
Paul Yost, chief of the Buffalo Valley Regional Police, serving Lewisburg and East Buffalo Township in Union County, adopted the Lethality Assessment Program, or LAP, as policy two months ago after his department’s 19 full- and part-time officers received training on how to measure the safety risk faced by victims of domestic abuse.
Other police departments, including Mifflinburg, Selinsgrove and Shamokin Dam, are considering a similar policy.
“I think it’s a promising program,” said Selinsgrove Police Chief Thomas Garlock.
According to the National Institute of Justice, research shows only 4 percent of domestic violence murder victims nationwide had ever sought the services of a domestic violence program. It also reports that the number of repeat assaults of a victim who goes to a shelter is reduced by 60 percent.
“It’s an asset for the department and support to the victim by giving them more security and comfort,” said Douglas Bickhart, Mifflinburg police chief.
Yost said he was approached by officials with the local women’s shelter, Transitions, about adopting the research-based screening tool as an added protection for victims.
“It has proven to save lives,” said Transitions CEO Susan Mathias.
LAP has been used in Maryland since 2003 and is being adopted by a growing number of states.
“It gives officers another tool for analyzing the threat level,” Yost said of the 11-question survey designed to elicit whether a victim is in a high-danger situation.
Questions include whether the alleged abuser owns or has access to weapons or has threatened to kill the victim or his or her children.
“A lot of times, this information won’t come out in a normal interview,” Yost said.
Responses that demonstrate the victim’s safety is in jeopardy trigger an automatic referral to a shelter hot line and a counselor.
Although the program isn’t a radical departure from the regional police force’s response protocol, Yost said the main difference is that it requires first-responders to make sure the hot line has been called and victims have been referred to a shelter.
“Before we would just give a card with a number of the hot line. Now we know they’ve made contact,” Yost said. “What we’re trying to do is provide the highest quality of service and security.”
In place for only two months, he said the assessment program hasn’t yet been used by any of his officers.
“Luckily, we don’t have a lot of these calls,” Yost said.
In the past year, the department has responded to 37 domestic and 35 family dispute calls.
But, he adds, “If it works one time, it will be worth it.”
Paul Yost, chief of the Buffalo Valley Regional Police, serving Lewisburg and East Buffalo Township in Union County, adopted the Lethality Assessment Program, or LAP, as policy two months ago after his department’s 19 full- and part-time officers received training on how to measure the safety risk faced by victims of domestic abuse.
Other police departments, including Mifflinburg, Selinsgrove and Shamokin Dam, are considering a similar policy.
“I think it’s a promising program,” said Selinsgrove Police Chief Thomas Garlock.
According to the National Institute of Justice, research shows only 4 percent of domestic violence murder victims nationwide had ever sought the services of a domestic violence program. It also reports that the number of repeat assaults of a victim who goes to a shelter is reduced by 60 percent.
“It’s an asset for the department and support to the victim by giving them more security and comfort,” said Douglas Bickhart, Mifflinburg police chief.
Yost said he was approached by officials with the local women’s shelter, Transitions, about adopting the research-based screening tool as an added protection for victims.
“It has proven to save lives,” said Transitions CEO Susan Mathias.
LAP has been used in Maryland since 2003 and is being adopted by a growing number of states.
“It gives officers another tool for analyzing the threat level,” Yost said of the 11-question survey designed to elicit whether a victim is in a high-danger situation.
Questions include whether the alleged abuser owns or has access to weapons or has threatened to kill the victim or his or her children.
“A lot of times, this information won’t come out in a normal interview,” Yost said.
Responses that demonstrate the victim’s safety is in jeopardy trigger an automatic referral to a shelter hot line and a counselor.
Although the program isn’t a radical departure from the regional police force’s response protocol, Yost said the main difference is that it requires first-responders to make sure the hot line has been called and victims have been referred to a shelter.
“Before we would just give a card with a number of the hot line. Now we know they’ve made contact,” Yost said. “What we’re trying to do is provide the highest quality of service and security.”
In place for only two months, he said the assessment program hasn’t yet been used by any of his officers.
“Luckily, we don’t have a lot of these calls,” Yost said.
In the past year, the department has responded to 37 domestic and 35 family dispute calls.
But, he adds, “If it works one time, it will be worth it.”
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