Detroit, domestic-abuse & dilemma

In a news feature dated October 12, 2009, Time.com stated:

"Unbelievable fact about Detroit: There is one domestic-abuse shelter in the city. And it only has 65 beds available.

"Totally believable fact: The city police department's Domestic Violence Unit has reported a 7 percent increase in cases this year.

"Want some more numbers? The unit is staffed by a paltry 17 people. And they have handled more than 8,000 cases so far this year."

"That's just plain pitiful. Thank goodness there are people like Kalyn Risker to help."

Read Detroit domestic-abuse dilemma here.

By contrast, the Women's Resource Center in Traverse City, Michigan with in Lake Leelanau, Kalkaska and Benzonia in addition to Traverse City served victims of domestic violence as follows:

In the early 1990's, the WRC made a commitment to increase access to its services and began to shift to a decentralized service delivery model that focuses on providing services in communities throughout its service area. In 2006 – 07 the WRC served nearly 1,500 survivors of domestic and sexual violence:

• 369 adults and children received emergency and longer-term housing, including 6602 nights of emergency shelter in Helen's House and nearly 16,000 nights of shelter in the WRC's transitional and permanent supportive housing programs, a 257% increase since 2000.
• The WRC served 263 seniors, a 396% increase over 2000.
• The WRC provided nearly 7600 hours of one-on-one and group support and received nearly 4000 calls on its 24-hour crisis line.

In addition, the M.E.N.S. (Men Exploring Non-Violent Solutions) and A.W.A.R.E.
(A Women's Anger Reduction & Empowerment) Programs served 337 clients, a 125% increase over 2000. Requests for awareness presentations, education, and training doubled.

In addition, the WRC runs Sara's House and Madeleine's House, both transitional residences where DV clients can live up to two years. The WRC serves a population of 142,046 located in five counties (southern Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau) in northwest Lower Michigan.

By contrast, Detroit has a population estimated at about 822,000 in 2009.

See T.C.'s WRC here.

Comments

[Jeanne M Hannah]

Father,

My blog article concerns the dearth of available facilities that can handle men, women and children who need refuge from a situation involving domestic violence. Not all articles about DV should be regarded as an appropriate place for the continuing message that fathers are systematically excluded from their children's lives because of false allegations of abuse. Nevertheless, today I offer you this one opportunity to use my blog as your soapbox. I suggest that your remarks be reserved for a time when one of my articles discusses the issue that men as well as women are victims of domestic abuse or when I address the issue of termination of parental rights.

[A Father]

Fathers are systematically eliminated from their children’s lives. Father’s parental rights are systematically terminated by family court judges who have a deep seated gender bias against fathers. Termination of parental rights is both total and irrevocable. Termination of parental rights is the family law equivalent of the death penalty in a criminal case. The primary casualties in our Domestic Relations courts are our children.

Courts are supposed to approach cases of child custody, support payments, and visitation rights in a gender-neutral posture. It sounds fair, and it is fair. But it is a myth. Judges are not enforcing these gender laws fairly, and few seem to care. Unless you have been forcefully removed from the everyday upbringing of your child by the Court, you can not fathom the emotional distress. To discriminate against fathers because of their gender in this day and age is no different than telling a person to go to the back of the bus because of their skin color. With sole or primary custody going to the mother in roughly 90% of cases, claiming custody is not based on gender would be like claiming hiring is not based on race if 90% of a particular race, though equally qualified, was unable to obtain employment.