02-22-1995 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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J* *• %1ESXJTES OF ’I'HK. ORONO PLANNING CO\EVflSSION WORK SESSION ON DOMESTIC ABUSE SHELTERS HELD ON JANUARY 6. 1995 Rowlene asked what training is provided to the Orono Police Officers in regards to dealing with domestic abuse situations. U. Chcswick replied that each officer receives training when they are hired, and that it ’S a Department mandate that ongomg training occu'. He noted that in Febmary'ihe Department is scheduled to attend a training session in domestic abuse. JoEllen Hurr asked what additional assistance officers provide victims other than handing them a card with their rights and contact resources. U. Cheswick replied that quite often victims are in the police office, and that the officer will advise and assi-t them until they are in a position of safety, i.e. they may be transroned if so requested to n location, then they are assisted in making the contacts they deem necessary. Lindquist questioned whether Lt. Cheswick felt a shelter in Orono would be of benefit. Li. Cheswick noted th'it in some respects it would mean more work for the depamnent, noting that the number of police calls to tlie shelters in Plyn mth and Minnetonka were significant Mabusth noted that many such calls were due to "suspicious activity", ,ince the environment of a shelter is sensitive to intrusion by the victims’ abusers. This has lead to number of false alarm calls. She also noted that at one of the shelters located on a cul-de-sac m a middle class neighborhood a large number of the calls were made by a single neighbor who was apparently adversely impacted by the activity, car parking, etc. generated by the facility. Lt. Cheswick noted that in many respects having a shelter in Orono would be helpful, in th^ it would provide a nearby location and an additional option for victims. Schroeder questioned how many incidences of domestic abuse the Police Department responded to in a typical year. Lt. Cheswick indicated he would have to review the computer records, but that there are many different levels of domestic abuse, and he would have to do some research to present a cle^ picmre. Mabusth showed an overiiead with information provided by the applicant regarding tM number of domestic abuse calls reported for Orono including its contract cities. Lt. Cheswick noted that those numbers were somewhat different than City records, and Webber noted that her numbers might be incorrect due to some errors. Schroeder indicated he had received some information from the Department of Corrections indicating 19 incidents of domestic assault which Lt. Cheswick characterized as the "senous incidents in 1993, as opposed to somewhere in the range of 80 total domestic assault incidents. Schroeder indicated he would provide his information to everyone. Schroeder reiterated that the reason for all of this discussion regardhg the number of incidents is to somehow establish whether or not a need exists for the puposed shelter in Orono. Peterson asked, of the 78 incidents reported for 1993, does Lt. Cheswick have a sense of how manv actually were referred to or transported to a shelter Lt. Cheswick suggested the num^r was probably less than 10. Lt. Cheswick also noted that in his experience the Department has not had a problem gening people into safe housing when it was necessary, be it a shelter or a motel. He noted that he personally had not experienced the inability to get a victim mto a