Maryland and many of its jurisdictions, including Baltimore City, have become staunch allies in the battle against domestic violence. And today, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced approval of a contract with House of Ruth Maryland to expand Baltimore’s Lethality Assessment pilot project citywide. The project, which is a component of the City’s Domestic Violence Reduction Initiative, is a collaborative effort between the Mayor’s Office on Criminal Justice, the House of Ruth Maryland, and the Baltimore Police Department.
Expanding city-wide anti-domestic violence efforts is being helped thanks to a $750,000 grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. According to the Mayor’s Office:
“With a comprehensive partnership between the Baltimore Police Department, the House of Ruth Maryland, and State and community partners, we are expanding our efforts to put an end to domestic violence in Baltimore,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “The funding allows the Department’s Family Crimes Unit to protect families by getting victims the shelter, safety, and resources they need sooner.”
The Lethality Assessment project has already proven successful in Baltimore. As of January 1, police in the Northeast, Northern, and Southern Districts have completed over 4,700 lethality assessments. The House of Ruth has successfully made contact with more than 50% of the individuals represented by each lethality assessment and connected 703 (30.6%) to services.
“The House of Ruth Maryland is excited by this opportunity to work with the Baltimore Police Department and the City of Baltimore to expand the Lethality Assessment program citywide,” said Dorothy Lennig, Esq., Director of the Legal Clinic at House of Ruth Maryland. “Through this program, the House of Ruth has been able to assist individual domestic violence victims, while also identifying and addressing the systemic issues that allow domestic violence to continue.” ~ Mayor’s Office
Click here for more information about House of Ruth Maryland.
Click here to learn more about the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence
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