Florida Governor Highlights Domestic Violence Prevention Project

Project brings higher level of domestic violence expertise to child abuse cases

October 15, 2009 -- FORT LAUDERDALE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist, in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, today applauded Florida’s Child Protective Investigator (CPI) project during a visit to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. The project, which teams child abuse investigators with domestic violence victim advocates, enhances services to families with children who are impacted by domestic violence.

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“Florida’s children deserve to have the best support available in order to recover both physically and emotionally from domestic violence,” said Governor Crist. “The Child Protective Investigator project is a great example of a collaborative effort between experts and advocates to provide a critical human service that supports individuals, families and communities affected by domestic violence.”

Governor Crist highlighted the CPI project alongside Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti, Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence president Tiffany Carr and Women in Distress CEO Mary Reidel. The domestic violence prevention project was created in response to the high number of child abuse cases linked with domestic violence in Florida. During fiscal year 2008-09, the 42 certified domestic violence centers throughout Florida provided emergency shelter to more than 14,500 domestic violence victims and their children.

The Florida Department of Children and Families, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, seven certified domestic violence centers and seven Florida Sheriff’s Departments have teamed together to implement the CPI project. The project pairs child protective investigators with an advocate from a local certified domestic violence center in an effort to bring a higher level of domestic violence expertise to child abuse cases, and keep children in the care of their non-offending parents and guardians.

The CPI Project is supported by federal stimulus dollars through the Violence Against Women Act. As a result of the stimulus funding for the project, three jobs have been retained and an additional seven domestic violence victim advocate jobs have been created.

Governor Crist has a longstanding record of supporting domestic violence prevention efforts. As Attorney General, Charlie Crist established the Cut Out Domestic Violence program with the help of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The program trains licensed hair stylists, cosmetologists and nail technicians to identify the signs of domestic violence, listen to victims and connect them with appropriate resources and authorities. Since taking office, Governor Crist has signed budgets setting aside nearly one million dollars each year to domestic violence prevention and education.

In 2008, Governor Charlie Crist signed several bills that reinforce Florida’s public safety laws and criminal justice system by strengthening penalties for those who commit domestic violence. House Bill 313, Relating to Dating Violence – The Barwick-Ruschak Act – provides that victims of dating violence be notified of their legal rights and remedies. The law is named after Tiffany Barwick and Michael Ruschak, two University of Central Florida students who were killed in September 2007. Senate Bill 622, Relating to Orders of No Contact with Crime Victim, expands the list of violent offenses requiring a court to issue a no-contact order with the victim. The law previously applied only to victims of sexual crimes. House Bill 7077, relating to Child Protection, clarifies the responsibilities of the Department of Children and Families and law enforcement agencies in cases where children become missing while in the care of the department and specifically authorizes courts to enter injunctions relating to domestic violence issues in certain child welfare cases to prevent an act of child abuse or protect the child from domestic violence.

In 2009, Governor Crist signed Senate Bill 412 Relating to Service of Process which allows protective injunctions in domestic and sexual violence cases to be served more quickly without waiting for paperwork. The bill also allows law enforcement to arrest a person when probable cause exists that the person violated a condition of pretrial release when the original arrest was for an act of dating violence. Governor Crist also signed Senate Bill 904 this year, relating to Parental Responsibility and Time Sharing. The legislation allows the court to consider even misdemeanor domestic violations when considering where to place a child during a dissolution of marriage proceeding.

Source: Florida Governor