State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) announced a collaborative effort to address domestic violence rates in Prince George’s County, which went up during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain alarmingly high. On Oct. 3, 911 operators and local and county police were given new protocols to help victims with resources.
“We’re averaging, still, 2,100 peace and protective orders a month here in Prince George’s County,” said Sheriff John D.B. Carr. The Sheriff’s Department serves protective and peace orders, a common measure to try to prevent violence.
He talked about some of the common challenges Prince Georgians face.
“We saw that trend rise during COVID-19, in the pandemic, where the domestic violence survivor was locked down with their abuser. That number has not changed, and that’s one thing that we wanted it to do, was to change and start to trend downward,” Carr explained. “Unfortunately, it has not,” Carr explained.
Braveboy’s announcement about new protocols is a continuation of her efforts to address domestic violence in Prince George’s.
“We have seen a decrease in intimate partner homicides. We went to the legislature to make strangulation a first-degree felony offense, the most heinous offense committed against intimate partners,” said Braveboy in an interview with WUSA 9. “Family violence is where we’ve seen a rise. Whether it’s parents, children, stepfamilies, or even grandparents: we want to bring attention to this issue.”
During a press conference announcing these efforts, Prince George’s resident James Oxley told the tragic story of how his teenage son shot and killed his wife and his younger child in January of 2022.
County Councilmember Krystal Oriadha (D- District 7), a victim of domestic violence, gave her story during the collaboration’s announcement.
“I have scars that can only be healed through surgery, and there’s scars that most won’t see, but I see them every day that I get up and I take a shower — in the mirror,” Oriadha said. “And I think about so many survivors out there that are constantly re-traumatized by seeing scars that, because they go untreated, they’re so damaged that there’s no way to fix them but to go through surgery. But it’s a cosmetic surgery, and you won’t have access to those resources if you can’t afford it.”
Delegate Ashanti Martinez (D- District 22) plans to introduce state legislation to improve access for cosmetic surgeries for domestic violence victims.
On Oct. 12, Braveboy is hosting her Purple Bike Ride to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In addition, on Oct. 29, she is hosting the seventh annual “Not One: Campaign Against Domestic Violence“, featuring the Purple is the New Black Fashion Show, among other programming.
“The Prince George’s Collaborative to End Family Violence is focused on bringing awareness to family violence and will delve into family units to see what issues exist with a strong focus on mental health support and counseling, substance abuse recovery, housing, employment opportunities and advocacy. We want to encourage families in need to reach out to our resource partners for assistance, including the Family Justice Center, House of Ruth and Mettle Works,” said Chauka K. Reid, the state’s attorney’s director of Public Affairs. “Our office will be training law enforcement & other county agencies on ways to accurately assess calls that come in for help and effectively assist those in need, to aid in domestic violence prevention.”
Prince Geoge’s County Police Department (PGPD) Chief Malik Aziz shared his personal experiences with domestic violence during an event for command staff to hear from survivors on Oct. 4 and PGPD held their third annual Domestic Violence 5K walk in Fairwood on Oct. 5.
“When me and my brother drove up he was assaulting my sister. It was a fight. He was doing most of the punching,” said Aziz. “She was sick and tired of him hitting on her, doing the things he had done. It took me years to put that in context that domestic violence was taking place.”