SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 25, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Police Department said there has been an increase of 33% in calls relating to domestic violence over the last two weeks.
The numbers have been increasing since the beginning of the year, but showed a dramatic uptick over the last couple of weeks, said a news release from SLCPD.
“These are challenging times and people are under a lot of stress,” said SLCPD Chief Mike Brown. “Unfortunately, this stress can spill out into relationships. It is never acceptable to perpetrate violence against another. We encourage people to find healthy ways of handling their stress and to think twice before acting in anger.”
The news release added that preventing a person from leaving the home, taking their phone, or threatening to harm them or others if the person leaves or ends the relationship are all forms of domestic violence.
“Neighbors, families, and friends, please keep an eye out and notify us if you suspect there is a case of interpersonal violence,” Brown said. “We are here to help.”
SLCPD has Victim Advocates, who are trained to help people who find themselves in situations like these.
“We can provide help with advocacy within the criminal justice system, resources, crisis counseling, referrals to community and victim services, lethality or danger assessments, personalized safety plans, or just listen,” the news release said. “We can now obtain protective orders online or over the phone in keeping with social distancing.”
Anyone who has experienced this type of behavior is encouraged to call SLCPD on 801-799-3000 and ask to speak with a Victim Advocate or call their 24-hour hotline directly at 801-580-7969. All services are free, and callers can get information anonymously.
Individuals can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or the Utah LINKLine at 1-800-897-5465 for confidential assistance.
