Just days after the state was rocked by the death of two police officers responding to a domestic violence call in Box Elder County, the Department of Public Safety announced it is launching an interactive database aimed at filling informational gaps to prevent further domestic violence incidents.
"The tragedy ... stemmed from a domestic violence call. Which caused us to take a minute and decide, should we even convene today? But with that incident, it brings urgency to how important this cause is and why we gather to talk about such an important topic, and how we can make a difference in domestic violence and intimate partner violence," Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said at a press conference Thursday.
Three years ago, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson lost her cousin to a domestic violence homicide. That experience made Henderson realize there was a “terrible gap” in the system as law enforcement responded to domestic violence-related calls.
“This lethal gap that we had in the system where law enforcement officers ... were not necessarily getting the information they needed to make wise discretionary decisions on the spot on the scene of a call. Sometimes a situation doesn’t look all that bad on the surface,” she said.
In response, she worked with the Department of Public Safety to create the Utah Intimate Partner Lethality Assessment Protocol, which gives officers an additional tool on scene they can use to identify the danger victims are in, assess the seriousness of their situations and connect victims with service providers.
“These deaths are preventable. There have been dozens of them since the law was enacted two years ago. I look forward to the day when we have rooted out this scourge in our society,” Henderson said.
The protocol has been implemented statewide, giving officers the ability to survey a situation, pass the information to the Statewide Information Analysis Center and get a result within 15 minutes that helps them make educated decisions on how to aid victims. Since implementation, about 23,000 Lethality Assessment Protocols have been conducted, with 60% showing victims at a high risk of lethal violence.
“That should cause us all to pause and realize the seriousness of the situation,” Mason said. “Domestic violence is one of the most dangerous calls there is, whether that’s for the victim or the officer on scene. We owe it to those people involved to use every tool at our discretion to improve that public safety.”
As the next step in continuing the progress, the Department of Public Safety is launching an interactive Lethality Assessment Protocol dashboard that will make the data more visible to allow lawmakers, law enforcement agencies and service providers to identify further gaps and issues that need to be addressed.
“Data is important. The faces and the names and the families behind the data are even more important — and what we do with this data, what we do with this information is critical,” Henderson said.
Henderson said she is excited for the state to have this information, as it can be used to make better public policy decisions for both victims and offenders.
Rep. Ryan Wilcox said while the program has been helping, the state is still “missing the boat on what happens with those who are the perpetrators.” He spoke of how Ryan Michael Bate, the man accused of killing the two police officers, has previously had run-ins with police for prior domestic violence situations.
“We had him. We issued the protocol, and it gave us the information we were looking for, and he didn’t murder her at that time. In the back of my mind all week, ever since I read the report, has been ‘What should we have done differently then that would’ve prevented the loss of life of these officers now?” Wilcox said.
Thursday’s announcement of the dashboard will help people see all relevant information to “put that whole picture together, help us to make the better decisions we are looking for that actually keep people safe,” he said.
‘It’s personal’
Wilcox was a bill sponsor for the legislation that implemented the Lethality Assessment Protocol. People’s view that domestic violence that doesn’t affect them needs to change, as it impacts everyone, he said.
“It is personal. Until you are called at the last minute, in my case, by a friend or a family member and asked to come rescue someone over the holiday because they are not safe, I don’t think it quite hits the same as when you are talking about it in a community,” Wilcox said.
Lindsey Boyer, director of domestic violence advocate group South Valley Services, agreed with Wilcox, stating too many families and communities are being impacted by the “devastating epidemic” of domestic violence.
“Even if we aren’t experiencing it directly, we all know and care about someone who is impacted directly,” she said. “Lives are at risk every day ... in all corners of our state.”
Despite “tremendous progress,” domestic violence is “a real threat,” and people need to be educated on the warning signs to prevent further violence, Boyer said. Victims can be connected to lifesaving services that help them have a violence-free future, she added.
“We need our community to take this issue personal. It’s happening here; these are our people. These are our friends, our neighbors, and these people need us in their corner. ... This issue needs everyone’s attention, and victims need your support — their lives literally depend on it,” Boyer said.
Sgt. Jen Faumuina, of the Department of Public Safety, has been training officers all over the state in the program and said the implementation has helped open police officers’ eyes to know what help victims need.
“It’s been a positive impact not only for the officers but for the victims, and I think overall it has helped with the safety of the community,” Faumuina said.
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