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Special recognition proclaiming the month of October 2019 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the month of October has been designated as Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and
WHEREAS, domestic violence is a national problem that is not confined to any group or groups of people, but crosses all economic, racial, gender, educational, religious, and societal barriers; and
WHEREAS, through the cooperative efforts of the Judiciary, the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County Adult Probation, Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center, the Lake County Domestic Violence Council, A Safe Place, the Regional Office of Education and the Chiefs of Police Association, Lake County has been in the forefront of the effort to end domestic violence; and
WHEREAS, through those cooperative efforts, the State’s Attorney’s Office has devoted Assistant State’s Attorney’s and Victim Witness Coordinators who specialize in domestic violence and are assigned to the Domestic Violence Unit. A Domestic Violence Courtroom has been established to hear all misdemeanor domestic violence cases, A Safe Room (D100) is available in the courthouse to provide advocacy and professional assistance to victims of domestic violence with orders of protection, and a Lake County Domestic Violence Manual has been developed and reviewed annually to provide policies and procedures to more effectively investigate and prosecute domestic violence cases; and
WHEREAS, additional partnerships with members of the Lake County community such as, juvenile justice agencies, victim services, treatment providers, and healthcare providers have been established and are vital to the success of eliminating domestic violence in Lake County; and
WHEREAS, in 1994, at the recommendation of the Lake County State’s Attorney, the Lake County Board established by resolution the Lake County Domestic Violence Council. The Council enforces effective prevention, intervention, and treatment techniques, improves the response to domestic violence and abuse so to reduce incidents in Lake County, and promotes effective community awareness and educational programs; and
WHEREAS, because the personal nature of these victimizations often influences the decision to report crimes, victimizations by intimate partners are highly underreported; public awareness and community outreach has the potential to increase the identification and reporting of abuse by the public, professionals, and victims themselves. Programs such as the State’s Attorney’s Office Bee Safe Program and the Teen Dating Violence awareness campaign, and the SAO Young Ambassador Board, have the potential to enhance awareness and engage youth on this ever-growing issue; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by this County Board of Lake County, Illinois that it recognizes and actively supports October 2019 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and recognizes the accomplishments of all those involved in the effort to eliminate domestic violence, and urges all citizens to work together toward the elimination of domestic violence so that children and families can be safe and without fear.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on September 10, 2019.