The Mayor’s Task Force Against Domestic Violence presented its 2024 annual report to commissioners on Oct. 23, reporting increasing calls for service and highlighting systemic barriers survivors face in Shawnee County.

"It is clear from this data that domestic violence continues to be a significant concern within our county," Becca Steelman, program director for the YWCA Northeast Kansas' Center for Safety and Empowerment and a task force facilitator, told the board. Steelman and assistant program director Christina Chavez said the report aggregates data from local law enforcement, courts, the district attorney’s office, hospital systems and victim‑service providers.

The report's figures for 2024 include roughly 2,100 911 calls flagged as domestic violence and about 1,400 arrests, Steelman said. The Topeka Police Department recorded 993 victims who scored high on a lethality assessment; Steelman noted that lethality numbers cited were limited to Topeka PD data and that county totals would be higher. The report listed 261 repeat domestic‑violence offenders in Topeka and approximately 1,100 domestic‑violence cases prosecuted by municipal and county prosecutors.

Steelman said additional measures recorded in the report include 156 battering intervention assessments for Shawnee County residents and 369 Stormont Vail patients who reported they did not feel safe in their relationships during emergency‑department screening. She said 854 victims and survivors received advocacy services in Shawnee County in 2024.

The task force identified lack of affordable housing and limited public transportation as key safety barriers that hinder survivors' ability to leave abusive relationships, Steelman said. She urged continued cross‑sector collaboration and noted that corporate engagement work with Blue Cross Blue Shield focuses on workplace protocols for addressing domestic violence.

"We have steadily increased the number of calls related to domestic violence," Steelman said, asking commissioners to consider system‑level supports to reduce risk and improve survivor access to safety. She invited county staff and commissioners to join the task force and receive regular updates.