450 dedicated investigators to solve cases faster, build stronger relationships with survivors
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch marked Domestic Violence Awareness Month by announcing the launch of the NYPD’s Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) — the largest unit of its kind in the nation that will allow the NYPD to enhance how it investigates domestic violence incidents and train officers while strengthening support for survivors. The new unit will have approximately 450 domestic violence investigators who will be fully dedicated to prevention and investigating domestic violence cases, while building stronger relationships with survivors. The full roll-out will begin next week, and the new unit will operate across all five boroughs.
“Public safety is not limited to our streets and subways; it extends to our homes, too, where we have seen violence against women, domestic violence, and gender-based violence continue to cause pain. Domestic violence rips people's lives apart, and we have a sacred duty to protect survivors of domestic and gender-based violence,” said Mayor Adams. “With the creation of the NYPD’s Domestic Violence Unit, we are going to make survivors feel safer in their homes.”
“As we mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we are taking nation-leading action to be more supportive and responsive to survivors. The new Domestic Violence Unit at the NYPD will offer more highly-trained officers who are laser-focused on the needs and complexities of domestic violence cases, including more connections to supports for survivors and help for people causing harm,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Suzanne Miles-Gustave. “For the first time in more than 30 years, the NYPD is making fundamental changes to how we respond to, investigate, and follow-through on domestic violence cases,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Domestic violence is as devastating as it is pervasive, and these complex cases require specialized training, skills, and investigators who will approach them with the care and compassion they demand. This is a survivor-centric, trauma-informed approach that is focused on survivor safety, taking violent predators out of our communities, and preventing the next incident before it’s too late.”
“Centering survivors is critical to addressing domestic violence in our city,” said Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) Commissioner Saloni Sethi. “True support is built on trust — and we applaud the NYPD’s investment in additional resources to help build that trust with survivors who choose to engage with law enforcement. Collectively, the changes in the NYPD's response to domestic violence will ensure a consistent, trauma-informed approach to survivors, reducing barriers so that survivors get the support they deserve.”
“As one of the most common crimes in New York and in the nation, intimate-partner and domestic violence demands innovative, comprehensive solutions,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr. “Centralizing domestic violence arrests and investigations and supporting the development of expert personnel will help keep survivors safe and ensure more offenders are held accountable.”
(For full report visit www.thesouthasiantimes.info)
