Title
Special recognition proclaiming October 2021 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Body
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, domestic violence is a national problem that crosses all economic, racial, gender, educational, religious, and societal barriers; and
WHEREAS, through cooperative efforts between departments, agencies, and the courts, Lake County has been focused on putting an end to domestic violence; and
WHEREAS, the State's Attorney's Office has a Domestic Violence Division consisting of Assistant State's Attorneys and Victim Witness Coordinators who specialize in prosecuting domestic violence and helping the victims; in collaboration with A Safe Place who provides legal advocacy and professional assistance inside the courthouse to victims of domestic violence seeking orders of protection; and
WHEREAS, a Domestic Violence Manual also has been developed to provide policies and procedures to effectively investigate and prosecute domestic violence cases; and
WHEREAS, additional partnerships with justice agencies, not-for-profit agencies, victim service providers, treatment providers, and healthcare providers are vital to the success of eliminating domestic violence in Lake County; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County Board established the Lake County Domestic Violence Council, which makes recommendations to improve the response to domestic violence, promote effective prevention, intervention and treatment techniques and promote community awareness and education; and
WHEREAS, victimizations by intimate partners are highly underreported, but awareness and community outreach has the potential to increase the identification and reporting of abuse. Programs such as the Bee Safe Program, Teen Dating Violence awareness campaign, and Young Ambassador Board can enhance awareness and engage youth in this ever-growing problem.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOGNIZED, the Lake County Board does hereby designate October 2021 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and urges r...
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