In Connecticut, all police are being trained to spot the warning signs of intimate partner violence. The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence says it’s the nation’s first statewide screening program to prevent lethal domestic abuse.
Daniel Cargill, a spokesperson for the coalition, says domestic abuse is the nation’s most under-reported crime.
“Over a third of the criminal cases going through court are domestic violence-related. So it is a significant problem.”
Cargill says an average of 12 people die in family abuse incidents each year in Connecticut.
Police now ask 11 questions after responding to any domestic incident. That determines if a survivor should be referred to a family shelter or one of 18 regional help centers.
Victims are considered most at risk when a partner is jealous or controlling, during a separation or breakup, or if they have a child with someone who is not the abuser.