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Council votes to expand DART domestic-violence response teams and seek citywide rollout
Summary
Council approved funding direction to expand DART (domestic-violence response) teams so advocates and trained professionals can accompany police on domestic-violence calls; members urged a citywide rollout and further resource development.
The Los Angeles City Council on July 17 voted to continue and expand the DART (Domestic Abuse Response Team) program, which pairs trained non-profit specialists with police officers responding to domestic-violence calls.
Councilmember Garcetti and others described the program as a way to provide immediate victim services, shelter placement and connections to long-term supports in cases where police response alone has not solved recurring domestic incidents. Multiple councilmembers noted state funding cuts and urged the city to consider local funding and to seek grant support for a citywide expansion.
During the meeting members stressed that DART teams operate alongside, not in place of, police response and help reduce repeat calls to the same addresses by linking victims to shelter, counseling and job-training resources. Council approved the item by recorded vote (clerk recorded "13 ayes"). Several members asked staff to explore funding sources and to prepare motions to extend the program citywide.
Councilmembers also noted related work on sexual-assault response teams (SART) and earlier council actions to boost SART funding; they asked staff to coordinate DART and SART implementation where appropriate.
