By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Officials hope a new program will reduce or even end murders related to domestic violence in Ellis County.
The last six murders in Hays were all related to domestic violence.
A partnership between domestic violence advocates, law enforcement and the court system uses a lethality survey to get help for people who are in the most in danger of a fatal domestic violence attack.
Area law enforcement authorities, including Hays Police Department officers, recently received training on using the lethality survey in the field and how to connect victims with advocates.
The tool is set to be launched as a pilot program in Hays before the end of the year.
"There are a lot of reasons why victims don't understand the danger they're in," said Jennifer Hecker, executive director of Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. "As human beings, we are wired to be hopeful. No one believes the person that they love is going to actually kill them."
Abusers can be very manipulative, Hecker said. They may be violent one day and loving the next.
Some of the questions on the assessment include:
• Has he/she ever used a weapon against you or threatened you with a weapon?
• Has he/she ever threatened to kill you or your children?
• Do you think he/she might try to kill you?
A yes answer to any of the above questions results in an automatic referral to a domestic violence advocate.
The recent training for officers and advocates put special attention on questions about strangulation.
Hecker said it takes less pressure to strangle someone than to open a soda can. Often few signs of strangulation are apparent to the naked eye..
Someone who has been strangled may have unseen internal damage that could lead to complications or even death days after the initial attack. Hays Police Chief Don Schiebler said a strangulation victim should be seen by a physician.
Law enforcement is doing a better job of documenting strangulation, which Scheibler said is resulting in a rise in the number of reported cases.
Strangulation can also be referred to the county attorney for more serious charges up to attempted murder, Scheibler said.
Other questions on the lethality assessment include:
• Does he/she have access to a gun?
• Has he/she ever strangled or tried to strangle you?
• Is he/she violently or constantly jealous or does he/she control most of your daily activities?
• Have you ever attempted to leave him/her? Are you currently separated?
• Is he/she unemployed?
• Has he/she ever threatened to kill himself or herself?
• Does he/she follow or spy on you or leave threatening messages after you have told him/her to stop?
• Does he/she have a drug or alcohol problem?
• Has the physical violence increased in severity or frequency?
• Are you pregnant? If not, has he ever hit you while you were pregnant?
• Has he/she ever destroyed property?
• Has he/she ever abused an animal?
• Has he/she ever made you have sex with him/her or perform acts on him/her when you did not want to?
• Has he/she ever been arrested for domestic violence?
Answering yes to six or more of the above questions would also result in a referral to an advocate.
That means an officer would dial the phone and hand it to the victim.
Hecker addressed the issue of alcohol or drug abuse in a relationship.
"Alcohol won't make a nonviolent person violent," Hecker said. "We often hear survivors say, 'He's great ... when he's sober.'"
Hecker said the process of creating the lethality program has brought law enforcement, courts, the batterer intervention program and advocates together.
The results of the lethality assessment can be used in court by judges to determine if a protection from abuse order should be issued or the amount of bail. It also can be used by corrections in determining supervision and in batterer intervention programs to help the batterer recognize his/her pattern of behavior.
"All of that adds up to accountability for the perpetrator and safety for the victim," Hecker said.
Scheibler said the lethality survey can be very important from the perspective of law enforcement and the courts.
Anywhere from 40 to 90 percent of domestic violence victims recant their initial statements to police.
Hecker said there are many reasons for this, including pressure or threats from the abuser or other family, children, abuser having financial control, victims having no other housing, shame and attempts of the abuser to downplay or apologize for the violent act.
Scheibler said, "We can make better decisions to protect the victim even if the victim doesn't want to be protected."
Options is applying for a federal grant that they hope can be used to hire a new employee to head up the high-risk team that will aid victims identified by the lethality assessment. Additional help also may be available for law enforcement to implement this program.
Hecker and Scheibler both said they are optimistic about the effects the new program can have in the community.
Scheibler said he has had positive feedback from HPD officers so far.
Johnson County did not have any domestic violence murders in the five years after it deployed its lethality program.
"If you think of the impact that could have on our community," Hecker said. "The last six murders in Ellis County have been domestic violence related. If we have the same result, not only could we keep people safe, but we could eliminate murder in our community."
Options provides services in all of northwest Kansas. Hecker said if the pilot program is successful in Hays, she hopes it can be expanded to communities across the Options service area.
Scheibler said he knows from studies that when a victim calls 911, it's rarely the first time violence has occurred in the relationship. He said it's very important for domestic violence cases to be fully investigated.
"The ultimate goal of law enforcement is to help people feel safe," Scheibler said. "If we can't make you feel safe in your own home, we're never going to be successful anywhere else.
"We know you are more likely to be killed by someone who says I love you than you are by a stranger, so this is very important."
Scheibler wanted to remind victims that they are not alone.
"The only way for things to get better is to reach out for assistance," he said.
There are many ways victims access help from Options.
You can walk into an Options office at 2716 Plaza, Hays, or 1480 W. Fourth, Colby. You can call Options' 24-hour helpline at 1-800-794-4624 or text HOPE to 847411.
A live chat option or a virtual video conference with an advocate is available on the Options website at https://help4abuse.org/.
The website has a safe escape button that will allow you to quickly close out of the website and erase your cookies so anyone who is on the computer after you will not be able to see that you have been on the website.
Options has a free app for Android and Apple devices called "My Mobile Options."
You can donate online to help Options at https://help4abuse.org/donate/. Donations can also be mailed to 2716 Plaza, Hays, KS 67601.
In light of Options' 40th anniversary this year, businesses in Hays are encouraged to donate $400 each to the organization.