As more of Connecticut’s law enforcement agencies are joining Newtown’s Police Department using a nationally recognized risk assessment tool when responding to domestic violence calls, local officers employing their recently implemented “Lethality Assessment” interview are finding that half the local victims and their families are reporting “high danger” threats.

Newtown’s Police Department implemented the program in late 2014 under the supervision of Lieutenant Christopher Vanghele, and as of June 1, the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) is being implemented by more than half of Connecticut’s law enforcement agencies.

Overseen by Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV), the Lethality Assessment Program is further strengthening partnerships between law enforcement and domestic violence agencies. Officers responding to calls for domestic violence use an evidence-based screening tool to quickly assess those victims at the highest risk for increased or fatal violence.

Newtown Chief Michael Kehoe said the local department’s inclusion of the LAP, along with many other tools an officer has at his or her disposal, will make the local department’s response to domestic violence calls more meaningful and purposeful.

“We continue to look for useful ways of response to domestic violence so that tragedies do not befall those who are in need,” Chief Kehoe said.

Lethality Assessment Program data collected from September 2012 through March 2015 demonstrate its success — 4,632 screens were conducted by police; 2,406 (52 percent) were considered high danger; 1,799 (75 percent) of those high danger victims spoke with certified domestic violence counselors; and 1,432 (80 percent) of those who spoke with a certified counselor followed up with additional services provided by CCADV member organizations.

Officers immediately connect “high risk” victims to their local domestic violence organization with the goal of quickly linking the victim to available services. Each participating police department maintains an ongoing relationship with the local domestic violence organization to ensure effective communication.

Newtown Police work closely with The Women’s Center based in Danbury.

According to Lt Vanghele, Newtown’s level of “high danger” domestic violence assessments mirror the statewide trend — a stat that the local police supervisor calls “shocking.”

“We are averaging two LAP screenings per month, [which] are only completed in cases of intimate partner domestic violence,” Lt Vanghele told The Bee this week. “What stood out for me is that in half of our LAP screenings the victims will ‘screen in’ as high danger.”

Lt Vanghele said this means that in half of the cases of intimate partner domestic calls Newtown officers respond to, the perpetrator has reportedly threatened or used a weapon against the victim at some point, or has threatened to kill the victim or their children, or the victim believes they may be killed.

“The amount of high danger screen-ins in Newtown is consistent with the statewide average of around 50 percent,” Lt Vanghele said, adding, “It is still a shocking statistic.”

First introduced in Connecticut in 2010 by the Ansonia Police Department, the program began rolling out statewide in October 2012 following a successful grant application by CCADV and the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POSTC).

“This screening tool saves lives and we deeply appreciate the tremendous impact that so many police departments are making by implementing this national model here in Connecticut to improve outcomes for victims,” said Karen Jarmoc, chief executive officer, CCADV. “The Lethality Assessment Program allows for a more coordinated and cooperative response to domestic violence that has enhanced engagement of victims in available services.”

Currently, 58 out of Connecticut’s 115 law enforcement agencies are participating in the program, serving victims in 78 percent of Connecticut’s towns and cities. This includes six out of the state’s ten largest cities (Bridgeport, Waterbury, Norwalk, Danbury, West Hartford, Greenwich), with the Hartford Police Department slated to begin use of the program on July 1.

The Connecticut State Police, which serves 81 Connecticut municipalities, and State Environmental Conservation Police are also participating to help keep everyone safe while enjoying the state’s recreational areas.

“The lethality assessment protocol represents a significant advancement for law enforcement. In a matter of minutes the responding police officer or state trooper is able to identify individuals who may be at heightened risk of domestic violence and immediately connect them to community-based providers,” said Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Dora B. Schriro. “As the number of departments participating in the program increases, so should the number of victims of domestic violence receiving the assistance that they clearly need.”

Police departments participating in the program send one officer or other personnel to attend a five-hour training session related to domestic violence and administration of the screening tool. Trained officers can then return to their departments to train other officers, often in as little as 30 minutes through roll call.

Once on the scene of a domestic violence call, officers can assess a victim’s risk for serious injury or death by asking questions about current or previous use of weapons, threats and acts of violence, among other indicators.

Josh Sabel, who coordinates on LAP integration between Newtown Police and The Women’s Center, said each time a Newtown officer employs the LAP interview, they are not only helping better protect victims, but also educating them about the severity of the threat they are facing.

The Women’s Center Director of Training, Program Development and Volunteer Services Melanie Danyliw said that fewer than four out of every 100 domestic violence victims killed by an intimate partner ever go to a domestic violence program or reach out for help.

“But success rates show that most victims who talk with a LAP counselor go to a domestic violence program or receive placement in a shelter.”

Besides municipal and state law enforcement agencies, the LAP has also been adopted by several of Connecticut’s institutions of higher education, including UConn, Southern Connecticut State University, Western Connecticut State University and Eastern Connecticut State University. Both state casino police departments have participated in trainings, with the Mashantucket Tribal Police Department anticipated to officially begin the program on July 1.

In Newtown, Lt Vanghele said that the program has proven to be effective, and relatively easy to administer on the front lines by responding local officers in its first seven months of implementation.

“The officers have utilized the LAP screen in every case and have incorporated its use with ease,” Lt Vanghele said.