Story Published: May 26, 2010 at 6:18 PM PST
Earlier this month, prosecutors believed 19-year-old Shenay Greenough was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend, Kurtis Chapman. ABout a week later, prosecutors said 21-year-old Griselda Ocampo Meza was stabbed to death in her Pasco apartment by her ex-boyfriend Gregorio Luna Luna. That same day, a man named Marcos Anthony Arevalo was arrested for sexually assaulting and raping the mother of his child.
"This is just too often. Too many and too often," Steve Lowe said, Franklin County Prosecutor.
"It's a problem that we haven't wanted to know about. And in the three years at the department, yes, there's been an increase in reports," Kim Keltch said, Domestic Violence Services Coordinator for the Pasco Police Department. "I'd like to believe that their sacrifice is going to help us make some other changes,"
Last year, Keltch said she personally handled more than 1,250 domestic-related calls, just in the city of Pasco. Like any advocate, she said there's always room for more resoures to protect victims from their abusers.
"Is there more that we can do? Obviously we're going to look at that," Lowe continued. "When we have time. Sometimes it's hard to do our job and look at the big picture of things sometimes, especially with the staffing issues. I mean, that is a reality that we deal with in today's economy so, it's not complaining but it's just the reality of things."
What about enforcement? Of those 1,250 cases last year, 60 resulted in arrests. Action News found only six people broke a DV court order to date this year, and 11 last year. Domestic violence advocates think it probably happened a lot more than that, but it just wasn't reported. Or, in some cases, the victims choose not to report.
On average this year, Pasco Police has responded to roughly one domestic disturbance - ranging from a small fight to a homicide - every single day.
"Is there anything that can be done differently?" Action News asked Pasco Police Captain Jim Raymond. "There's not a whole lot any of us can do when that happens, you just can't predict that."
Keltch said she hasn't lost any resources to help DV victims during the last year but she's not necessarily getting any more either. What she can provide is key: awareness and help.
Women just need to reach out for that help to get it. And hopefully, it will spare future women from harm.
"The more likely you trust the system the more likely you are to take less risk," Keltch said. "If it's a friend or a sister, if you know that that person is having contact (with someone who's violating a no-contact order), call the police."
Changes may also be on the way as soon as June 10, when state law changes so that the municipal court can extend probation from two years to five.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES:
Kim Keltch
509-544-3068
keltchk@pasco-wa.gov/
http://www.pasco-wa.gov/GeneralInfo/PoliceDomesticViolence
Domestic Violence Services of Benton & Franklin Counties:
124 W Kennewick Ave Ste 5Kennewick, WA 99336-3830
24-hour crisis and shelter hotline:
509-582-9841
1-800-648-1277
http://dvsbf.org/
Consejo Counseling and Referral Service
509-783-3057
5219 W. Clearwater Ave, Suite 8 Kennewick, WA
http://consejocounseling.org/
Sexual Assault Response Center (SARC)
24-hour phone: (509) 374-5391
830 North Columbia Center Blvd, Suite H Kennewick, WA
Columbia Basin Domestic Violence
509-735-2271 or 509-582-9841
24-hour crisis counseling, shelter.
Provides education, counseling, and shelter to battered women, men, or children.
Catholic Family & Child Services
http://www.ccyakima.org/family/richland/
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