At the October 5, 2020 Lakewood City Council Regular meeting, the Lakewood City Council proclaimed October 2020 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the city of Lakewood and urged all residents and community stakeholders to join them in recognizing domestic violence as a crime with impact on individuals, families and the Lakewood community.
The ultimate goal of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is to educate, protect and, ultimately, reduce and eliminate acts of domestic violence.
The full proclamation can be read here.
From January 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020, the City’s Legal Department,
on behalf of the citizens of Lakewood, University Place, Steilacoom and DuPont, filed a total of 303 domestic violence cases (an average of about 43 cases filed per month).
While the City recognizes that these figures reflect only crimes that have been reported and that these numbers are likely well below the actual occurrence rate, the 2020 case numbers are lower than previous years for the same time period. In 2019, City’s the Legal Department filed an average of 64 cases per month during this period of time.
Domestic Violence Helpline – (253) 798-4166.
If you see or hear an assault, call 9-1-1.
The City actively partners with the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, Pierce County YWCA and Rebuilding Hope! Sexual Assault Center Pierce County.
The Crystal Judson Family Justice Center provides professional support and resources to individuals and families experiencing domestic abuse.
The Pierce County YWCA provides a number of services, including Community Advocate Resource Center and Emergency Housing.
Rebuilding Hope! Sexual Assault Center Pierce County offers support toward healing through advocacy and therapy for those affected by sexual assault and abuse.
The City receives grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women for STOP (Services • Training • Officers • Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Grant Program to provide services to victims of domestic violence and their families.