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.