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Mayor's Task Force Presents Domestic-violence Data, Urges Housing and Transit Fixes
Summary
YWCA's task force detailed 2024 domestic-violence figures for Shawnee County and said gaps in affordable housing and public transportation limit survivors' ability to seek safety. The council asked about youth prevention, school partnerships and legal advocacy.
Becca Spielman, program director for the YWCA Northeast Kansas Center for Safety and Empowerment, presented the mayor's Task Force Against Domestic Violence's 2024 data and service priorities to the Topeka City Council on Oct. 21.
The presentation said law enforcement agencies in Shawnee County recorded 2,195 domestic-violence-related calls in 2024, with 1,407 arrests. Of the victims screened with lethality-assessment tools, 993 in the city of Topeka scored in the high category, indicating an elevated risk of homicide; 261 people identified as alleged offenders were identified as repeat offenders. The city and county prosecutors pursued 1,117 domestic-related cases, the presenters said. The task force reported 141 clients served by Kansas Legal Services and the Disability Rights Center of Kansas for protection-order assistance, 156 battering intervention assessments, 369 people screened at Stormont Vail Health reporting they did not feel safe in relationships, and 854 people receiving advocacy services during the year.
"Two of the major barriers survivors face in our community are lack of affordable housing and limited public transportation," Spielman said. She told council members that those constraints sometimes prevent survivors from leaving dangerous situations or accessing services.
Council members asked about prevention and bystander intervention. Councilman Miller asked what residents can do when they notice red or yellow flags in friends' relationships; Spielman described the YWCA's bystander-intervention training and recommended approaching people from a place of care, offering resources, and supporting survivors' decisions.
Councilwoman Hiller and others pressed the task force to keep outreach to schools and youth-serving providers active, noting that children who witness domestic violence are more likely to suffer long-term health and behavior consequences. Spielman said the task force includes a public-education coordinator and youth-focused partners such as the Family Peace Initiative and LifeHouse Child Advocacy Center, and holds hybrid meetings to broaden participation.
Why it matters: The task force combines court, law enforcement, health-care and advocacy organizations to produce cross-system data that the council and city staff can use for planning. The presenters said the pattern of rising law-enforcement calls appears consistent year-over-year and that better housing and transit supports could reduce risk for survivors.
What council directed or decided: The presentation was received; council members asked questions and offered to help connect school and youth-service leaders. No formal policy or programming decision was taken at the meeting.
Ending note: Spielman encouraged interested community members to join the task force; members meet monthly and the task force uses both in-person and listserv communication to involve people unable to attend in person.
