Committee to combat domestic violence in Frederick County takes shape
Jul. 10—A committee tasked with addressing systemic factors contributing to domestic violence in Frederick County established its leadership and discussed next steps at its inaugural meeting this week.
The committee — formally called the Frederick County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council — comprises members from a diverse group of county organizations and institutions. Assistant State's Attorney Brett Engler will serve as chair. County Councilwoman Jessica Fitzwater, who will serve as vice chair, said Engler spearheaded the formation of the group.
Among the council's mandates are advising the county executive, the County Council and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission on policies, programs and legislation to combat domestic violence in the county and assisting victims and their families. The council will seek to change high-level, systemic factors compounding incidences of domestic violence rather than focusing on individual cases.
On average, nearly 20 people every minute are physically abused in the U.S. by an intimate partner, according to data from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith, who formerly led a special victims unit investigating domestic violence, said it's a prominent issue in the county.
"I've seen the trauma and the devastation that these crimes cause and, quite frankly, continue to inflict well after they occur," Smith said during Wednesday's meeting. "It's not just a national issue, it's a local issue."
Both the number of yearly domestic violence cases and the frequency of felony cases, which can result in permanent physical injury, appear to be on the rise, he added.
With more restrictions and decreased mobility, the pandemic has exacerbated the severity of domestic violence in the county, according to local law enforcement and domestic violence nonprofit Heartly House. Contributing to the increased severity were dramatic jumps in the frequency of strangulations, which became a felony offense in Maryland last October.
This is the first domestic violence council the county has created and overseen, though the county courts system ran an informal council from 1990 until 2008. Codifying the new council will ensure sustainability and community collaboration in the county's fight against domestic violence.
Other Maryland counties have similar domestic violence councils. Montgomery County's served as a template for the creation of Frederick's, Mariesa Robinson, prevention coordinator for the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence, said during the meeting.
What sets Montgomery's council apart, Robinson said, is the utilization of subcommittees for such topics as education and outreach, victim services, legislation and policy planning and offender programs and policy.
Montgomery's council is also project-focused and has established such programs as SafeKeep, which ensures that pets have a place to stay while domestic violence victims secure new housing.
Frederick's domestic violence council will initially meet monthly and may move to assembling quarterly if members deem it appropriate. The council's next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 4, and its first in-person meeting is slated for Sept. 1.
Follow Jack Hogan on Twitter: @jckhogan
