Women are often reluctant to seek assistance from police, the courts and community resources when they feel threatened or are suffering abuse, officials said.
But seeking help is critical in avoiding violence like the Monday shooting death of a University of Idaho graduate student in Moscow.
According to the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C., weapons can easily turn domestic violence into homicide.
In 2008, 92 percent of female homicide victims were murdered by someone they knew. Women are far more likely to be murdered by a male they knew than a stranger — and most by their spouse or “intimate acquaintance.”
While such murders are relatively rare in Idaho — the Gem state ranked 41st in a 2010 report by the Violence Policy Center — experts say there are resources available for women who feel threatened.
The first step, according to Meridian Police Department Deputy Chief Tracy Basterrechea, is to call police.
“It is always safest if you contact your law enforcement agency and let them evaluate the threat level,” Basterrechea said. “I understand why people don’t. We see it a lot. People, generally, are kind and forgiving. They don’t want somebody to get in trouble. They just want the activity to stop.”
Police officers are trained to determine the “threat level” posed by men in stalking, threatening or abusive relationships, and that includes people in need of mental health intervention, he said.
Women should not think their calls are inconvenient or unimportant to police, Basterrechea said.
“If you are worried about it, call,” he said. “That’s what police are for. I tell people all the time it is good for us to be inconvenienced at times. That is our job.”
Officers can direct women to other resources and help them develop a safety plan.
“If you feel threatened or afraid, that is an emergency,” Boise police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower said. “You need to talk to a detective or an officer right away to see if you need to take emergency steps to protect yourself.”
Officers can advise women to obtain a no-contact order, leave home for a few days or head to a shelter, she said.
“If you feel threatened at all, don’t discount it,” Hightower said. “Take it seriously, certainly if a weapon is ever displayed or implied or mentioned.”
Friends, family and co-workers should also help women they know are being threatened to contact law enforcement, Hightower said.
“Encourage that person to always report it, even if they don’t feel comfortable or downplay it,” she said. “Encourage them to make a report and to take it seriously.”
The Women’s and Children’s Alliance in Boise will take calls from anywhere in Idaho to the domestic violence hotline, said Executive Director Bea Black.
The organization can offer services from safety planning, physical safety, court assistance and advice on living situations.
“Call the hotline and ask for guidance,” Black said. “But if you are in fear, particularly if they have guns and have threatened, I would be at the courthouse filing a protection order.”
Women should immediately call 911 if a threat is imminent, Black said.
They should offer law enforcement as much information as possible to help responding officers, she said, and particularly, let police know if someone has a weapon.
“People need to know there are resources out there for them, and they need to know to act,” Black said. “Pick up a phone and make a call. We don’t mind talking to anybody who has a concern.”
Kathleen Kreller: 377-6418
