domestic violence

Dedicated HPU Student Benefits HPCAV

April 20, 2022 by Connie Lawson

Meet Elise Coby, a junior at High Point University (HPU), pictured here with Gretta Bush, our Board President and Jim Summey, our Executive Director. Her Persuasive Speaking class required her to give a “Speech of Advocacy”. Realizing domestic/partner violence and violence in general were issues of concern to her, Elise researched local organizations and chose HPCAV as the subject for her speech project. She excelled in her presentation and was awarded first place. She took it a step further and created a crowd funding campaign, raising $765 for our organization.

Elise, we are very grateful for your support and your advocacy for HPCAV on campus and beyond!

Filed Under: Domestic Violence, High Point, News, Uncategorized, Updates Tagged With: Community Against Violence, domestic violence, High Point University, HPCAV, HPCAV success, HPU, safecommunities, violence

Domestic Violence Strategy Gains National Attention

August 27, 2018 by Connie Lawson

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has invited the High Point Police Department to present information about our Offender Focused Domestic Violence Initiative (DVI) that was begun in 2012 at its national conference in September. Based on the Violent Crime Focused Deterrence model, the DVI has helped reduce repeat domestic violence offenses in High Point. Almost 3500 offenders have been “put on notice” over the past six years of implementation. And while the program is not perfect – domestic violence continues to happen – it has made a difference, more than other strategies used in the past.

Read more about our DVI in this article from the Greensboro News and Record.

Filed Under: Domestic Violence, High Point, News, State & National Tagged With: Community Against Violence, crime reduction strategy, domestic violence, High Point, safecommunities

Our Domestic Violence Model Goes National

July 6, 2016 by Connie Lawson

We are proud to share the news that the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice is launching a new intimate partner violence intervention initiative, based on the successful intervention model we developed here in High Point. Three pilot cities will be chosen to replicate the model. This initiative is being funded by a $1.6 million grant from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.

“While we do not receive any of the money,” said Ken Schultz, High Point Chief of Police, “the work and efforts of everyone, to include all of our many partners who have contributed to the success of our program, will now be spread throughout the country and will benefit many more victims of domestic violence.”

Domestic Violence Initiative Showing Results

September 17, 2014 by Connie Lawson

One thousand fewer calls. Since fully implementing the Offender Focused Domestic Violence Initiative just two years ago, High Point Police Department reports receiving 1000 fewer calls asking for a response to domestic violence incidents. This is good news for High Point families and for our community as a whole.

Cities across our nation continue to consult with High Point and to implement this Initiative in their jurisdictions. Roanoke, Virginia; Chula Vista, California; and East Baton Rouge, Louisiana to name a few.

Filed Under: Domestic Violence, High Point, News, State & National Tagged With: chula vista, domestic violence, east baton rouge, High Point, lexington, nc, roanoke, violence

Summey Named Senior Fellow

February 26, 2014 by Connie Lawson

Jim Summey, D. D., Executive Director of High Point Community Against Violence, Inc. has been named a Senior Fellow in the Justice Programs Office (JPO) of the School of Public Affairs at American University. Senior Fellows provide multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional perspectives to help guide justice system initiatives. Summey was invited because of his work with the violence reduction efforts here in High Point.

“This is an exciting time to work in the justice field and your perspective and experience will greatly enrich our work,” wrote Caroline S. Cooper, Director of the Justice Programs Office at American University in the invitation.

Summey began working as a volunteer with HPCAV while he was the Minister at English Road Baptist Church in High Point. He became Executive Director in 2009.

For more information about the Justice Programs Office and Senior Fellow Program, visit the American University website.

Filed Under: High Point, News, State & National Tagged With: American University, Community Against Violence, crime reduction strategy, domestic violence, High Point, HP CAV, justice, Justice Programs Office, safecommunities, School of Public Affairs, Senior Fellow

High Point Enterprise Article

January 6, 2014 by Connie Lawson

Thanks to Pat Kimbrough with the High Point Enterprise for his well-written article on our Domestic Violence Initiative: Stopping the cycle of domestic abuse. This is a great way to learn what we are doing and how it is working, successfully, in High Point!

Filed Under: Domestic Violence, High Point, News Tagged With: Community Against Violence, domestic violence, High Point, High Point Enterprise

Domestic Violence Initiative Covered in Independent Weekly

November 18, 2013 by Connie Lawson

Our Domestic Violence Initiative is the focus of a great article by John Tucker, Staff Writer with the Independent Weekly. It was written as a two part series, but you can read it in its entirety on line.

Tucker chose to take a national approach to the story and did his research with professionals as well a victim and her family. It’s a well rounded look at domestic violence and what High Point is doing to make a difference.

Filed Under: High Point, News, State & National Tagged With: Community Against Violence, crime reduction strategy, domestic violence, HP CAV, Independent Weekly, Indy Weekly, John Tucker, violence

Domestic Violence Initiative in the Mayors Challenge

February 23, 2013 by Connie Lawson Leave a Comment

Our High Point Offender Focused Domestic Violence Initiative is a top twenty finalist for the Bloomberg Mayors Challenge. The top prize is $5 million, with four other $1 million prizes awarded. Our final application has been submitted and we should hear something in April. Keep your fingers crossed. This would be an incredible opportunity to share this innovative work around the country.

In the meantime the owner of the Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, is launching a Fan Favorite contest. Check out our video and vote for the High Point initiative, share it with family, friends, and everyone you know!

The voting began February 21^.The URL is www.huffingtonpost.com/mayors-challenge.

Voting runs for two weeks – from February 20 through March 6 – and the Fan Favorite winner will be announced at approximately the same time as the five Mayors Challenge winners. Note: you can only vote once and you do not need to register to vote.

The winning city will receive a $50K Services grant from IBM to support implementation as well as featured coverage and promotion from The Huffington Post, including a monthly front page column for its mayor for a year and an interview with Arianna Huffington on Huff Post Live (HuffPo’s video news platform).

This is our chance to showcase how innovative High Point is and get national recognition. Let them hear us! Vote and tell everyone you know to do the same!

Filed Under: High Point, News, State & National Tagged With: Bloomberg Mayors Challenge, Community Against Violence, domestic violence, High Point, Huffington Post, HuffPo

A Week Later

March 6, 2012 by Connie Lawson Leave a Comment

One week after our first Offender Focused Domestic Violence Initiative “call in” or notification meeting and NONE of the twelve participants has re-offended! Four have called the office and will be helped by Jim, moving on to more intensive counseling if they ask for it.

Also in the past week, four individuals whose prior offenses were so severe they were not given an opportunity to “hear the message” have been prosecuted. Their sentences ranged from 14 months to 44 months. This may not sound like much, but these sentences are two to four times LONGER than they would have been in the past. Why? Because our prosecutors and judges are very supportive of this effort and they are staying on top of it.

Filed Under: High Point, News Tagged With: domestic violence, violence

Domestic Violence Initiative Underway

February 26, 2012 by Connie Lawson Leave a Comment

High Point has a new violence reduction effort: Offender Focused Domestic Violence Initiative. Like our other efforts targeted at street level drug dealers and gang violence, this one is focused on offenders in domestic violence cases.

“How we address domestic violence as a community has changed,” said police Chief Jim Fealy. “It’s not going to be tolerated.”

This initiative employs the same basic strategy, now known nationally as the High Point Model:

Study the data about our known domestic violence offenders;
Put on notice (through a call in) those who fit the criteria and tell them the violence must stop;
Offer encouragement to change and direction to resources as needed;
Stand with law enforcement to prosecute and remove from our city those who continue to offend.

Jim Summey, our Executive Director, told the initial group of 12, “We care about you, but it’s gotta stop.” Bobby Davis, a founding member of HPCAV, reminded them, “There are no excuses. You are responsible for your actions.”

Domestic violence is violence. And it has to stop.

Filed Under: High Point, News Tagged With: crime reduction strategy, domestic violence, JohnJayCollege, violence