Commonwealth Attorney urges awareness as Charlotte County recognizes October as domestic violence prevention month

Leslie Schneider, assistant Commonwealth's attorney for Charlotte County, briefed the Board of Supervisors on local domestic-violence issues and asked the board to support a resolution recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. Schneider described three recent cases before the Circuit Court that illustrate escalating domestic violence and said the CommonwealthAttorney's Office is focused on prosecution where appropriate and on rehabilitation and victim services.

Schneider provided local figures: from January through the most recent reporting period the sheriff's department received 139 domestic-violence calls, 274 verbal-abuse calls, 10 child-neglect/abuse calls and has served roughly 458 protective orders; the Commonwealth's Attorney's office has handled 38 assault-and-battery-on-family cases to date. "Protective orders do not generally mean that this is keeping partners apart," Schneider said, stressing that protective orders are a tool to reduce immediate threat and protect individuals.

She urged the county and public to "shine a light" on domestic violence and to use community resources such as Crossroads and the victim-witness coordinator, Gwen Hamlet, to support survivors. Schneider recommended community intervention where citizens witness abusive behavior and emphasized that domestic violence calls are among the most dangerous for law enforcement.

The board heard the presentation on the record and the Commonwealth's Attorney asked the board to promote local awareness and resources; the transcript shows no contested vote on the resolution to recognize October for awareness, and the Commonwealth Attorney thanked the board for the opportunity to present.