TOPEKA (KSNT) – October is domestic violence awareness month, and it’s a problem that hits home for many Kansans, including first responders.
Senator Roger Marshall hosted a roundtable at the Kansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s headquarters on Oct. 17. Law enforcement agencies, victim advocacy groups and state officials talked about the extreme dangers of domestic violence calls.
The danger isn’t just for the victims, but also for the first responders responding to those calls. Two out of four officers killed in the line of duty this year in Kansas, were responding to domestic violence calls.
Domestic violence calls are one of the most dangerous calls officers respond to. These situations can be volatile and unpredictable because suspects could have various mental health or substance abuse issues.
Washburn students tell their stories during Domestic Violence Awareness Month
This roundtable was not only focused on survivor resources but also addressed the root of the problem.
“We have a mental health epidemic in our youth, especially in a lot of reasons for that. But maybe I bet 20, 30% of our youth have some type of a mental health illness challenge going on,” said Kansas Senator, Roger Marshall. “Again, trying to get to the roots of it. How do we prevent it? There’s not going to be enough medicines out there to treat the epidemic of mental health that we have right now.”
261 repeat domestic violence offenders were identified by the Topeka Police Department this year, with 2,195 calls in total.
Senator Marshall said the community must be committed to fighting this issue while survivors are reaching out for help in record numbers and officers continue risking their lives.
The domestic violence hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-SAFE.
For more resources, you can contact the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.
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