At a press conference held today in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Hubbard House, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), the State Attorney’s Office and Northeast Florida law enforcement reaffirmed their commitment to ending domestic violence.
The press conference addressed the need to raise public awareness about domestic violence and its effects on our community, and served as the launch of Hubbard House’s month-long Go Purple public awareness campaign.
Several JSO officers stood behind the podium donned with purple ribbon lapel pins, which they will be wearing throughout the month to help raise awareness about the issue.
“Domestic Violence Awareness Month serves as a time for us all to come together to focus our efforts on increasing awareness about this issue,” said Jami Gaff Bueker, Hubbard House Chief Development Officer. “Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation or educational level. It is not a private issue; it is a community issue.”
The Domestic Violence Awareness Month Press Conference also served as the official release of the 2011 Domestic Violence Fatality Report. The report is an examination of domestic violence homicides in Duval County from Jan. 1, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2011, and an analysis of domestic violence homicides from December 1996 through December 2011. The purpose of the fatality review report is to identify patterns and trends in domestic violence related deaths which might have been prevented.
According to JSO, 10 domestic violence related homicides have occurred since January 1, 2012, four of which were homicide/suicides.
“People are still losing their lives to domestic violence each year in Jacksonville. Most have never called the police or contacted Hubbard House, yet family and friends knew of the violence. If we are going to finally end domestic violence, we need your help and the help of everyone you know,” said Ellen Siler, Hubbard House Chief Executive Officer. “My hope is that somebody out there will hear what is being said today and will make a call that will save their life or someone else’s life.”
Individuals who are in an abusive relationship, or know someone who is, are urged to call Hubbard House’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 904-354-3114 or 800-500-1119.
For more information on Domestic Violence Awareness Month activities and Hubbard House’s Go Purple campaign please visit www.hubbardhouse.org. To view the 2011 Domestic Violence Fatality Report visit www.hubbardhouse.org/domestic-violence/resources.
ABOUT HUBBARD HOUSE: Founded as the first domestic violence shelter in Florida in 1976, Hubbard House is a certified, comprehensive domestic violence center providing programs and services to more than 5,000 women, children, and men annually in Duval and Baker counties. While Hubbard House is most known for its emergency shelter, the agency also provides extensive adult and youth outreach services, school-based education, therapeutic childcare, batterers’ intervention programs, court advocacy and volunteer and community education opportunities. Visit www.hubbardhouse.org to learn more.
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