Police say more women being arrested for domestic violence
Gilroy – The doors at Community Solutions have been swinging open a lot lately, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. The nonprofit human services agency has received about two new domestic violence clients each day, a spike considering they used to help that many new clients each week.
“This February has been very hectic for us,” said Assistant Program Director Perla Flores. “Usually our busiest times are close to summer because a lot of women will wait until the kids are out of school to leave.”
Statistically, rates rise near holidays and taper off afterwards.
Community Solutions helps house about 77 women and 85 children who are trying to escape their current domestic situations each year.
“I think it definitely goes in spurts,” Flores said.
During a six day period from Feb. 5 to 10, there were no domestic violence calls made to police. The following day there were five.
A review of police records from the past three years showed that Gilroy police responded to 175 calls for service in 2004. The following year there were 232 calls for service, a 25 percent increase.
The numbers of calls for service in 2006 are currently on pace to fall below 2004 numbers, however, statistically more women are being arrested for domestic violence.
While both men and women suffer from violence from their partners, the figures may indicate something other than females becoming the aggressor – it may be because they are fighting back.
The majority of studies of domestic violence arrests for females show that most women are battered themselves and are using violence to stop their aggressor.
According to Gilroy Police Sgt. Kurt Svardal, current county practice is to take a no tolerance policy and to make an arrest in a domestic violence case if injuries are found.
“If there’s any evidence of violence whatsoever, we’re going to make an arrest,” he explained.
And sometimes this means arresting both parties if police cannot determine who was the aggressor of the incident.
Community Solutions has worked with many female clients arrested for the violence, when they were actually the victim.
“Unfortunately, the perpetrator appears calm and collected (when police arrive) and it appears the victim is the aggressive one,” she explained.
Once recent case she cited was of a female Spanish speaking immigrant arrested when police found a scratch on her husband. According to Flores, he had tried to throw a table on top of her and when she pushed it away it hit him.
According to the most recent Public Health Department figures, 3 percent of males reported they were victims of violence from their partner while 12.3 percent of females claimed they were abused.
Morgan Hill led the county with the highest rate of domestic violence calls for service with about 642 calls per every 100,000 individuals, followed closely by Campbell with 496 and Gilroy at 492.
But domestic violence does not stop at city limits.
“I don’t think it matters culturally or economically,” Svardal said. “We get domestic violence calls all over town. It doesn’t matter where people live, domestic violence happens.”
There are several local resources available for victims.
And while many victims choose to stay with their aggressor for financial reasons, or because they do not want to lose custody of their children, or because they fear their status as illegal immigrants, some choose to leave.
“Every victim is the expert of her own situation,” Flores said. “She knows what will happen if she fights back, she knows what will happen if she calls the cops, she knows what will happen if she leaves.”
