Domestic Violence

October was named Domestic Violence and Disabilities Awareness Month on Tuesday by the Washington County Commissioners. The County Commissioners recognized the Washington County Family Violence Council and CASA (Citizens Assisting and Sheltering the Abused Inc.) in the proclamation. Family violence "respects no racial, religious class or geographic boundaries and, in fact, has reached epidemic proportion in nearly all regions of our nation. It is the mission of the Family Violence Council for the forthcoming year to promote awareness of the silent victims of family violence, our children," according to the proclamation.

By KERRY LYNN FRALEY Staff Writer Federal and state legislation limiting access to driver and vehicle records is a positive step in combating domestic violence, stalking and harassment, say those who work with victims in the Tri-State area. "It's not just a privacy issue, it's a safety issue with the populations we serve," said Vicki Sadehvandi, executive director of Citizens Assisting and Sheltering the Abused (CASA) in Hagerstown. New laws have gone into effect in each state to either automatically close those records to the general public and commercial use or give residents the option to close them, say state motor vehicle officials.

Domestic-violence survey says more training needed HEIGHT="6" ALT=" "> Associated Press review of domestic violence in West Virginia found that more victims are calling for help and more abusers than ever before are being arrested. But AP's look at the problem also found that there's an inconsistency in how things are handled from one county to another, an inconsistency that suggests that officers need additional training. That's not to say that there hasn't been plenty of progress on this issue in the past 10 years.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Dana's "living hell" started with jealousy and demands from her now ex-husband about what she should wear. It escalated to shoves and slaps and ended with a gun to her head. Dana - who no longer is married to her abuser, but asked that her last name not be used - attended a press conference Wednesday in which representatives from the security company ADT announced that alarm systems will be installed and monitored for free in the homes of women who are most at risk of being harmed because of domestic violence.

In 2006, a woman was shot and killed by her estranged boyfriend. This is the same man who police said abused her in 2002. This is the same man, according to court documents, police say had fired a rifle at her in 1996. This case, a true story, shows how complicated domestic violence can be. The woman was Martinsburg, W.Va., resident Tracey Spriggs. Her ex-boyfriend was Antonio Hernandez. In 2006, The Herald-Mail reported that Spriggs, 34, died on her way to the hospital.

At the November meeting of the Soroptimist of Hagerstown, members wore orange in support of the United Nation's “International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women” and to raise awareness about domestic violence. The UN General Assembly designated Nov. 25 as International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in a 1999 resolution inviting governments, international organizations and nongovernmental organizations to “organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem on that day. Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization working to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.

Hagerstown Police report incidents The Hagerstown Police Department responded to the following incidents, according to spokeswoman Barbara Pickett: June 10 A controlled dangerous substance violation was reported in the 20 block of North Cannon Avenue. An arrest was made. A pedestrian was struck in an accident at West Washington Street and Buena Vista Avenue. A burglary was reported at a basement apartment in the 400 block of South Potomac Street.

See also : Reforms since '94 have helped women, jailed abusers Despite the problem's complexity, positive actions have been taken in Washington County to ensure better outcomes in domestic violence cases. Corporations are educating the public about domestic violence through employee programs and public service announcements, said Vicki Sadehvandi, executive director of CASA, or Citizens Assisting and Sheltering the Abused in Hagerstown. CASA created bumper stickers that read, "Domestic Violence is no private matter.

The Hagerstown Police Department responded to the following calls since Thursday, Detective Sgt. Paul Kifer said: On Thursday: · At 9:08 p.m., alleged domestic violence was reported in the first block of Winter Street. · At 7:57 a.m., alleged domestic violence was reported in the 400 block of Guilford Avenue. · At 5:15 a.m., alleged unauthorized use of a motor vehicle was reported in the first block of South Prospect Street. · At 2:28 p.m., a deceased person was reported found in the first block of East Washington Street.