For Victims Of Abuse, On-Call Aid
Program Will Offer Protective Orders
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 22, 2007; Page DZ01
Victims of domestic violence in the District will be able to get temporary protective orders against their abusers at night and on weekends for the first time, starting this spring.
The Domestic Violence Section of the Office of the Attorney General will begin a pilot program for after-hours orders, perhaps as early as May 1, said Elisabeth Olds, co-executive director of the nonprofit Survivors and Advocates for Empowerment, known as SAFE.
Advocates have been pushing for the program for years because data show that victims probably will not follow up if they do not get a protective order within 24 hours of an incident.
"It was something that was percolating for a while," Olds said.
New administrators, such as acting Attorney General Linda Singer and acting Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier, understood the benefits of the program, advocates said. "I think it was new perspectives coming in across the board," Olds said.
Council member Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large) presided over a hearing on the issue in 2005, saying the supporters cited a serious, possibly life-threatening gap in the system.
Courts close at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, leaving domestic violence victims and police with few options because they cannot get temporary protective orders to keep the abusers at a distance. Victims usually make five or six attempts to leave a dangerous situation before getting help, said Kenneth E. Noyes, co-executive director of the D.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
"If it happens on Saturday morning at 2 a.m., Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. is too late," he said.
SAFE, which was once a program of the D.C. coalition, will help administer the temporary protective orders by providing volunteers to meet with victims when they come into contact with police, Olds said.
SAFE volunteers will contact the on-call staff members of the Office of the Attorney General, which will review the cases and contact an on-call judge to secure protective orders.
D.C. police receive about 19 calls related to domestic violence per day, Olds said. According to SAFE, three or four victims could be helped each day because of the program.
"I would fairly say that thousands of women are going to have an opportunity that they didn't have before," Brown said.
