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State Representative John Lesch
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4224
For more information contact: Nick Halter 651-297-1934
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Blueprint to Help Victims of Domestic Abuse
St. Paul- St. Paul Police introduced a new tool for helping victims of domestic abuse. Titled Blueprint for Safety it’s enabled by legislation State Rep. John Lesch (DFL- St. Paul) introduced in 2007. It allows all parts of the justice systems from cops to courts to work together on crimes involving domestic violence. The goal is to catch the potential perpetrators of serious crimes before they strike.
“This is an example of our system in action," said Lesch. “We started with an appropriation of $500,000 to St. Paul at the Capitol and we ended up with a comprehensive program for the city’s police officers. The blueprint makes it easier to stop serious abusers before they hurt someone while also making it easier for victims to speak out.”
Essentially, the blueprint is a 149 page manual. The personnel who study it learn how the criminal justice system for domestic violence abusers works. It spans from the first phone 911 phone call to what happens to victims of domestic violence. Officers learn to ask key questions that are proven to elicit a response from victims.
If the officer involved in the questioning feels there are high risk factors at the scene, he marks it as a priority for investigators. In particular, these methods will help boost “gone on arrival” cases. These occur when a suspect flees the scene of a crime. Usually these are given low-priority but that has changed and they will now be prioritized.
“The Blueprint trains officers in St. Paul to identify abusers by spotting warning signs,” said Lesch. “We are working toward stopping these crimes before they happen and when they do, make sure the perpetrators are punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
These methods will serve as a protective screen. In St. Paul alone last year, the police filed 10,356 reports concerning domestic violence. With the new blueprint in place, more details and information should be available to judges when setting sentences and bail conditions.
The measure was officially launched last Thursday, April 2, by the City of St. Paul and was championed by City Attorney John Choi.
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News Items
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- Rep. Lesch Named Chair of the House Civil Law Committee - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- EARTH DAY A CHANCE FOR REFLECTION, ACTION - (Posted: 2012-04-17 00:00:00)
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