Today, the Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill was joined by law enforcement, community partners with the Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake, and a survivor to raise awareness about the problem of domestic violence in Salt Lake County.
DA Gill used the opportunity to call on lawmakers to pass a law that will make domestic violence investigations uniform across the state.
“Over the last several years we were able, for the first time, to get the state of Utah to require lethality assessments from all police departments, and that was really important….I'm going to make an ask today, and let me set it up. We have more consistency from Cache County down to Washington County when it comes to a DUI, but we do not have the same level of commitment or process when it comes to intimate partner violence. One reason is that we do not have a baseline. The reason DUIs get investigated the same way is that there's a single form that every law enforcement agency uses when they respond to a DUI, and a baseline investigation that is written and every law enforcement officer follows. And that is missing when it comes to some of the most violent offenses, which is intimate partner violence…Maybe one legislator or two legislators who are out there listening today might, for the first time, pass a law that requires every law enforcement agency to have a baseline of investigations, just like we do in DUIs,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. “That might, for the first time, create for us a uniform commitment as a state to our victims of crime and our responsibility to gather that evidence in the way that it should be.”
In addition, Stewart Ralphs, the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake, discussed the services his organization provides free of charge to domestic violence survivors who qualify based on income. Those services include help getting civil protection orders for domestic violence survivors and working with them to help with child custody and divorce. He talked about the simple process that survivors can go through in order to start working with his organization, including remote intake meetings to help with survivors who may have jobs that restrict their ability to meet with his organization in person.
The sergeant for the Domestic Violence Unit for the Salt Lake City Police Department, Sgt. Liz Johnson talked about how when someone does have a protective order in place, and it is violated, if the person who violated is on scene, that protective order leads police to make the call a high-priority response. Sgt. Johnson said the presence of that protective order gives police the legal authority to remove the violator from the premises.
In addition, a domestic violence survivor who worked with the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office gave a message of hope to those who may be experiencing domestic violence: “Part of why it was so difficult for me to leave and to come forward sooner was that I felt embarrassed and I felt ashamed. I went from being someone strong to someone I didn't recognize anymore. And if you feel that way, those feelings are real. Violence is never okay in a relationship, and it's not your fault,” said Shae Thompson. “Support matters. Asking ‘Why are you still staying?’ doesn't help—safety planning, resources, family, and advocates that support do. My experience isn’t everyone’s. But healing is possible. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, even when you can't see it yet.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence and believe you and your family would benefit from a protective order, reach out to Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake and see if you qualify for their services at (801) 328-8849. If you don’t qualify based on income, they will recommend someone who can help.