SAVE: Lawmakers Should Not be Fooled by Bogus Claims of a Domestic Violence 'Surge'

Press release here. Excerpt:

'The Coalition to End Domestic Violence is warning lawmakers of continued false claims of a “surge” and “spike” of domestic violence cases as a result of coronavirus stay-at-home policies. Such claims have been refuted by 30 police reports from 17 states around the country, which are listed below.

Calls requesting police assistance (“calls for service”) are the most reliable indicator of domestic violence trends, for three reasons:

1. Domestic violence victims or witnesses are able to make a 911 call and be connected to law enforcement officials within seconds.

2. The volume of calls is tracked by a neutral government agency, not an advocacy organization.

3. Many calls to domestic violence hotlines and shelters are requests for information about immigration, housing, or childcare (1).

Over the past six weeks, CEDV staff has compiled dozens of media accounts and contacted police departments requesting information on domestic violence calls for service. The reports were then categorized as reflecting a decrease (more than a 10% decrease over baseline), a steady number (less than a 10% change over baseline), or an increase (more than a 10% increase over baseline) in domestic violence calls.

Domestic violence decreases were revealed by 11 police departments and 16 reports documented steady numbers. Only 3 reports suggested an increase in partner abuse-related police reports: Boise, ID, Hibbing, MN, and Houston, TX, which reported increases in the range of 10-15%. These changes cannot be accurately described as a horrifying “spike” or a deadly “surge.”'