Swampscott police to step up fight against domestic violence with help from $55G grant

SWAMPSCOTT – The number of domestic violence incidents in town has increased more than 30 percent, but police say a grant the department received recently is allowing it to do a better job meeting the needs of victims.Police Chief Ronald Madigan said the $55,000 Department of Justice Violence Against Women grant is helping the department provide more services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.Detective Ted Delano has been assigned to work sexual assaults and domestic violence cases full-time for a year, which is the amount of time covered by the grant.”We’ve had a 31 percent increase in domestic violence in town from July 1, 2010 through Sept. 16, 2010, compared to the same period in 2009,” Delano said. “The numbers show an obvious need in the community for this program. Thanks to this grant we are able to follow cases through the court system. It allows us to work with victims from the time of an initial report to the final disposition of the case.”Delano said from July 1, 2009 through Sept. 16, 2009, there were 32 reported domestic violence cases in town and during the same time period in 2010 there were 45 reported cases.”I don’t know why we’re seeing such a large spike now,” he said. “But I’m sure the economy and unemployment rates have something to do with it.”The police department responded to more than 135 domestic violence and sexual assault calls last year alone and Delano added domestic violence incidents affect every socio-economic group in town.”Every area of town, people of all walks of life and every income level are affected by domestic violence,” he said. “It affects all ages: children, teens and elders.”Delano said one of the most frustrating aspects of his job is when victims return to a situation where they are at risk.”Unfortunately you see victims of domestic violence that don’t realize their abuser’s pattern of behavior won’t change,” he said. “They put themselves back in the situation where they are re-victimized. That’s one of the reasons grants like this are so important. We have the ability to follow the victim and help them get the services they need.”Delano said the department has a good working relationship with Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWC), victim advocates, the courts and district attorney’s office.”It enables us to provide the victim with the best services available,” he said.Madigan said budget cuts forced him to move a detective back to patrol to fill an unfunded vacancy last year, which meant the department was no longer able to have a dedicated family officer.””We’re very pleased to receive this grant,” Madigan said. “It allowed us (as of July 1, 2010) to move an officer from patrol back into the detective office and it freed up Delano to focus full-time on domestic violence and assault issues.”