SANDY, UTAH – October 6, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month and officers with the Sandy City Police Department are showing their support for both adult and child victims of abuse.
A special ceremony hosted by Sandy City Mayor Tom Dolan, Sandy City Police Chief Kevin Thacker, and other city representatives on Tuesday afternoon focused on bringing awareness and education to the community on issues that surround domestic violence. It was also a chance to remember the 296 reported victims within their city, and the thousands around the country this year who have been affected by abuse.
While Sandy City has no reported homicides this year due to domestic violence, Utah itself has seen a very deadly year. According to Jenn Oxborrow of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, 30 Utahns have died due to domestic violence so far this year. That is a 33 percent increase over the year before and the year is not even over. 42 percent of Utah’s homicides can be attributed to domestic violence—12 percent higher than the national average.
Sandy City also noted a rise in the number of domestic violence incidents from last year. As of August 31, they have had 77 more reported cases than in 2014 altogether. This includes verbal altercations as well as physical.
Sandy City officials and law enforcement officers have set a standard in which they promise to continue to be involved in an issue that affects every aspect of their jobs. “The lives of women, men, children, extended family, and communities are negatively by domestic violence,” Sandy City Mayor Tom Dolan said. “We as a community must recognize the scope of this social problem and work together to create a community which does not tolerate domestic violence.”
Dolan further expressed his desire for the community to teach children and expand the awareness of domestic violence through education, prevention and outreach saying, “We encourage all Sandy City residents to take a stand against domestic violence in their personal relationships and in their community.”
The public awareness event also included viewing the two winning videos that were selected in the “Kids Know” PSA contest and a release of balloons for each adult victim of domestic violence.
To view the winning video’s from Sandy City’s PSA “Kids Know” campaign you can follow these two links:
