Police, ADVISE respond to increased domestic abuse calls By Claudia Torrens/ Staff Writer Thursday, February 24, 2005

Shrewsbury police receive an average of one domestic abuse call a day.

Last year there were at least 176 incidents involving domestic abuse in Shrewsbury, however, the number could be significantly higher because many of the assaults, sex offenses, restraining order violations and rapes registered by police are domestic abuse cases, said Detective Lt. James Hurley.

The numbers also show that in 2004 there were at least 45 more domestic abuse incidents than in 2003, as well as 49 more assaults, 15 more restraining order violations and two more rapes.

"We have at least one domestic-related incident every single day," said Hurley. "Many times we will receive a call for a disturbance and it will turn out to be a domestic. The same happens with assault and battery calls."

Domestic abuse not only means physical abuse, it also means mental abuse or making somebody suffer a stressful, fearful situation.

"A husband putting his wife in fear by confining her in a room, for example, is also a case of domestic violence," said Hurley.

So far this year Shrewsbury police has reported 52 incidents involving domestic abuse.

Hurley said that an incident is considered domestic abuse when it involves parties that have a close relationship, like husband and wife, boyfriend or girlfriend and same-sex couples or people involved in a substantial dating relationship.

"I think we have the same number of domestics as any other community," said Hurley. "We have a pro-active enforcement strategy. We implemented a mandatory arrest policy in domestics before a state law enforcing these type of arrests came out."

Police work closely with ADVISE, a group formed by Shrewsbury residents that work with the community to help domestic abuse victims by providing support and education. ADVISE stands for Against Domestic Violence in Shrewsbury Education.

"Our mission is to empower the community to recognize that there is a problem of domestic abuse in Shrewsbury," said Sandra Jenkins-Dryant, an ADVISE member. "Many people think it does not happen in town. They say 'not in my neighborhood,' but it does."

Jenkins-Dryant said police tell domestic abuse victims about the group and sometimes people call them looking for help, advice or when they don't know where to turn for counseling. Officers call the beeper of a member of the group late at night if there is an emergency, but ADVISE has not received many late-night calls lately.

"You still have people in Shrewsbury who don't want their neighbors to know," said the resident.

The group has approximately 10 members and between 20 and 30 non-active members who are in charge of fundraising, said Jenkins-Dryant. The organization, which meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services office, also has a hotline for people to leave a message and be responded to in 24 hours.

One out of two women in the United States are involved in a violent relationship, according to a manual used by Shrewsbury police called Law Enforcement Dimensions. ADVISE's Web site, which is a link to the town's police department Web site, also identifies abuse as self-destructive behaviour, emotional withholding, verbal abuse, disrespect, abuse of trust, isolation and harassment.

To contact ADVISE by voice-mail call 508-842-0056.