NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans today provided resources and information that residents can access to bring more awareness to the domestic violence issues we are experiencing throughout the city.
“Domestic violence is an intolerable offense, and everyone, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, should be able to live a life without the threat of violence,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “My administration, along with trusted partners, have put forth significant resources throughout the community to assist residents who live under the threat of domestic violence. We cannot stand for these violent attacks any further; if you see something, you need to say something, and do not wait until after the incident occurs. Our people do not have to suffer in silence, and I want to make sure, as a woman first and foremost, that we remove the stigma around domestic violence and we all step up to do our part in order to save lives.”
Domestic violence, in all forms, is not new to our community; however, recent, tragic incidents have demonstrated the need for us to ramp up our outreach efforts and highlight the resources that are in place to help victims across the city. The New Orleans Health Department (NOHD), New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and several community organizations, such as the New Orleans Family Justice Center, Covenant House, Metro Centers for Community Advocacy and Project Save, provide various resources and services to those experiencing domestic violence. Information and contacts for many of these can be found on both NOHD’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program webpage as well as NOPD’s Criminal Investigative Division webpage.
On their website, NOHD has a Survivor’s Guide with plenty local resources for victims to connect with, including the criminal justice system, hospitals, legal help and local nonprofits. NOHD also hosts trainings on recognizing signs of domestic violence and how to navigate the system.
NOPD’s Domestic Violence Unit, under the Special Victim’s Section, is a specialized investigative unit which has the responsibility to conduct follow-up investigations on domestic violence incidents. The members work closely with community groups, governmental and non-governmental agencies to spread awareness regarding sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence. This Unit can be reached by phone at (504) 658-5523. NOPD’s Victim/Witness Assistance Unit also offers wraparound services, such as safety planning, crisis intervention, counseling referrals and more, and they can be reached at (504) 658-6795.
For more information on local resources, residents can learn more here.
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