BELFAST, Maine — Purple lights are illuminating businesses, churches and offices from Winterport to Bath this October, with the soft glow intended to let the world know that the people inside are partners in ending domestic and dating violence.
The glowing lights up and down the midcoast that mark domestic violence awareness month are just one obvious sign that Maine has gone through a major sea change over the last quarter century, when it comes to talking about and working to stop domestic violence.
Chief Deputy Jeff Trafton of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office said he won’t forget the feeling he had 25 years ago as a young state trooper, when he was called to a home where a woman had been assaulted. It was before there were mandatory arrest laws, and because she told him she did not want to prosecute her husband, he had to leave them there together.
“It was an awful feeling, driving away,” Trafton said this week. “I think now law enforcement is really recognizing the level of danger to the victims. … Things have changed. They’ve changed a lot. It’s more acceptable for people to talk about domestic violence. It’s not that dirty little secret anymore.”
In Waldo County, where police have responded to 240 domestic violence calls since the beginning of the year — nearly once a day — the problem is major. Six out of the last 10 murders in the county were domestic violence-related, Trafton said. That’s why he’s happy to talk about the county’s year-old high risk task force, called the Waldo County Domestic Violence Community Response Team. When officers, advocates or even concerned family friends come forward to say that they have identified a very dangerous abuser, or a victim who is at great risk, the task force jumps into gear.
“One of our big concerns is victim safety,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re combining our resources to make sure we’re doing the absolute most for people.”
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 84 percent of spousal abuse victims are female. In 2012, domestic violence assaults in Maine represented nearly half of all assaults reported to law enforcement. Of the 24 homicides that occurred in Maine that year, 11 were domestic violence-related, according to the 2013 fact sheet from the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence.
In Waldo County, the response team includes officials from all of the county’s law enforcement agencies, the Maine State Police, New Hope For Women, Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine and the Maine Department of Corrections. They meet with the victim and go through a detailed checklist to learn if the abuser has done things like threatened to kill her, assaulted her while pregnant, choked her or has been violently and constantly jealous.
They then work with the victim to do the best they can to plan for her safety — which often includes helping her learn how to stop someone from tracking her using her cellphone or Facebook.
Ellie Hutchinson, the Waldo County community educator for New Hope For Women, said that the task force has done good work.
“I think it’s a great step toward providing additional safety for victims, and peace of mind,” she said Tuesday. “And giving them some control over their future.”
So far, the Waldo County high-risk task force has worked with 10 or 11 domestic violence victims, Trafton said. Some of them have broken away from the dangerous relationships completely. Others are still in them, but nevertheless continue to work with the group to maximize their safety.
“We feel like we’ve made a difference,” Trafton said. “The ones I’m most scared of are the ones we don’t know about.”
Hutchinson said she estimates that for every incident reported to police or a domestic violence hotline, four or five others aren’t. Everyone can help stop the problem of domestic violence, she said.
“We talk a lot about being aware, but bystanders can really make a difference,” she said. “If everybody would make a solemn pledge to be nonviolent in their behavior at home, that would be a step in the right direction. And people need to step up and call the police when they think something’s happening. Obviously, they shouldn’t put their own safety at risk, but it’s really easy to call 911. And it might save a life.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.