Delco Targets Domestic Abuse With New Task Force
MEDIA, Pa. (CBS) - Delaware County has formed a special task force to stem the rising tide of domestic violence.
They're calling it DART -- which stands for Domestic Abuse Review Team. Delaware County DA Jack Whelan notes that seven homicides last year were directly attributed to an incident involving a loved one that got out of hand.
With an average of 4,000 protective orders issued in the county courts each year, that's a lot to track.
Whelan told KYW Newsradio he wants to find ways to do it better "from the time that the case is initiated with the response of the police officer on the street to the time that a judge orders the defendant to stay away."
Police officers will also be trained in usage of a Lethality Assessment Program when interviewing domestic violence victims. It's a checklist of sorts.
"If the victim scores high enough," Whelan says, "then we identify that individual as a potential for death or serious bodily injury."
That would trigger alerts to various public and private entities in an effort to get help before someone is killed.
