CCFVTF Meeting and Lockhart Police Chief, Mike Lummas

The OOVC went down to Lockhart, Texas yesterday for the monthly meeting of the Caldwell County Family Violence Task Force (at the famous Sirloin Stockade). This was perhaps one of the most illuminating and productive meetings of the task force to date, or at least that I have had the privilege to attended. Lockhart Police Chief, Mike Lummas, was invited to speak, did so eloquently and opened the floor to a debate on the difficulties faced by domestic violence service providers and police officers in the field.

Discussion started with the issue of dual arrest used as a stop gap measure on the part of officers in domestic violence calls and how this generates enormous systemic difficulties for the victims of aggression (because this results in their now having a criminal record), and progressed to the lack of training and the high turnover rate of young officers who are poorly paid and overworked, as well as to the high personal risk faced by responding line officers. Also discussed were institutional short-comings across the board in all social sectors and coordination problems between institutions and actors. Members of the Hays-Caldwell Women's Center spoke well, as did members of the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office and Martindale Police Department.

Issues may not have been resolved, but they were addressed and there was communication and an important exchange of information between actors of different perspectives who might not otherwise find an opportunity to engage one another.

A small example: Law enforcement expressed frustration and fatigue at "always having the woman return to her abuser," especially after all their hard work, personal and professional. In the face of other obligations, commitments, and limited resources was it worth going out time and time again to the same household? Shelter advocates pointed out, on average, it takes a victim of domestic violence 7 - 9 attempts, i.e., requests for help, before she/he is finally ready to make the decision to leave a batterer. Each interaction with social service provider and police provides a little more information, a little more confidence.

To my mind the Task Force had an exemplary meeting yesterday. Bravo.

BT