Newtown’s front line patrol officers will be adding a new tool in the coming weeks that is proven to prevent the type of domestic violence tragedies that have been escalating in Connecticut in recent years. Governor Dannel P. Malloy also announced a new statewide program to improve policies and training to respond to domestic violence that may affect state employees.

The Newtown Bee reported last week that the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) released the 2014 findings and recommendations of the Connecticut Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee. That panel annually reviews intimate partner fatalities and near-fatalities to analyze the strengths and challenges of Connecticut’s response to domestic violence.

Since 2000, 188 Connecticut residents — an average of 14 per year — have been killed as a result of intimate partner violence, including 11 individuals (seven women, four men) who were killed in 2012.

The early July murder of Kiromy Fontanez by her ex-boyfriend marked Connecticut’s tenth homicide stemming from intimate partner violence this year, surpassing the nine intimate partner violence homicides reported in 2013.

Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe told The Bee that Lieutenant Christopher Venghele was planning to attend the CCADV’s next “train the trainer” program, so the local department can implement the coalition’s Lethality Assessment Program (LAP), which has been piloting among a growing number of local police agencies since late 2012.

“We were looking at being among the first departments to participate in the LAP pilot in the fall of 2012, but then 12/14 happened,” Chief Kehoe said. “Lethality assessment was something we had been doing internally, but this new tool gives us something that is effective, and that all our officers can work with in the field.”

The program employs a two-pronged intervention process where first responders to domestic violence calls employ the research-based lethality screening and immediately connect victims directly with advocates for support and safety information.

The officer at the scene of a domestic violence incident conducts an assessment of the situation and, if factors that indicate danger exist, asks the victim a series of 11 questions that comprise the “Lethality Screen for First Responders.”

LAP protocol directs law enforcement to initiate intervention action as a result of the screening assessment.

Initiating LAP Protocols

If a victim’s responses to the questions reveal a high potential for violence, the officer informs the victim that people in similar situations have suffered escalating violence. To help the victim address immediate safety needs, the officer then calls the local domestic violence advocate and hands the phone to the victim to speak directly with a trained advocate.

Karen Jarmoc, who heads up the CCADV, told The Bee that in most cases, responding officers to these calls are likely to be male, and the victims female, so putting them on a call with a trained female advocate typically breaks down a lot of the resistance individuals have to seeking immediate help.

Up until the LAP program started expanding in Connecticut, officers would provide referral information to domestic assault victims for assistance without even knowing if that person followed up or took action to distance themselves from an abuser.

Chief Kehoe said the answers that his officers log on the LAP screening form will also help them evaluate how or whether to release an accused abuser.

“If an arrest is in store, the answers from the victim may help the officer modify the conditions of release of the perpetrator,” he said. “People are often surprised that in Connecticut, there is no mandate to hold a domestic violence abuser, although it is within a department’s authority to do so if they feel preventing contact with the victim is warranted.”

Chief Kehoe said the LAP would follow the victim from her interactions with responders, through any judicial disposition of the case and beyond if necessary.

The total number of screenings in the first year of the LAP pilot was 1,651 with 961 (58 percent) being identified as high danger. Among those high danger cases, 806 (84 percent) of those victims identified spoke with an advocate, and 538 (67 percent) of those who spoke with an advocate followed up with services offered by CCADV member programs.

Chief Kehoe plans to have patrol officers trained on, and using, the LAP screening tool by the end of the summer or sooner.

New Statewide Program

On August 13, Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that in response to the tragic murder of a state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) employee in May, the State of Connecticut will partner with the CCADV to improve policy and training around the issue of domestic violence.

“This new partnership between CCADV and the state’s Learning Center will allow us to increase opportunities for our employees to learn more about how to take proactive steps to help prevent horrific acts of domestic violence,” said Gov Malloy. “By working together, we can continue our efforts to build communities that are safe for all citizens and break the cycle of violence that can be devastating to almost every aspect of a victim’s life.”

CCADV is working closely with the state Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to review policies and training practices around domestic violence.

Through the DAS Learning Center, CCADV will present “Understanding Domestic Violence: What Every Professional Should Know,” an in-depth look at the warning signs and risk factors, which will assist state employees in identifying and responding to domestic violence not only within their agencies, but with family and friends as well.

In addition, the partnership will create a review process for the state’s policies and practices when responding to domestic violence in the workplace.

“It is crucial that we reach out to state agencies to provide them with the tools to respond to domestic violence. As we know, many victims report being harassed by their partners while they are at work,” said Ms Jarmoc

“Our agency recently experienced the tragic death of a colleague due to an alleged act of domestic violence and it was a shocking and stunning blow to her family and to all of her colleagues,” said DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee.

The DAS Learning Center provides specialized training for Connecticut state employees in the areas of human resources, managerial support, computers, safety, and career development. This high quality, cost-effective training is intended to help Connecticut agencies develop and maintain a knowledgeable and effective workforce.

The Learning Center has partnerships with Connecticut Community-Technical Colleges and the Connecticut Training and Development Network.