One Stop Shopping

This morning I attended the Portland City Council meeting where funding for a One Stop Domestic Violence Service Center was unanimously approved by the council. Councilman Dan Saltzman has been working on a feasibility study of a one-stop center since last year when he gave TACS the job of finding out what would work best for Portland. Through six focus groups with survivors (2 in Spanish, 1 in Russian), 2 focus groups with service providers, and various other interviews and site visits with similar programs, the study found that what works best is a center with a victim-centered approach that allowed survivors to pick and choose what services they work with in the center. Potential available services include community-based advocates, DHS workers, law enforcement, and folks from the District Attorney's office.

Imagine -- taking public transportation to one place where you can work with an advocate on a safety plan; file a restraining order; and apply for TA-DVS and TANF -- all while someone watches your kids for you! Portland is one step closer to this reality after today's vote.

During the council meeting, Councilman Sam Adams brought PWCL into the conversation about 3 times, once even finding us by Googling "domestic violence, Portland" from his seat. Apparently, he thinks we're real important to our community.

Thanks, Sam.

Did anyone hear this on OPB this morning? This would be a great opportunity to respond and educate about PWCL's role in the process. If only we had a Communications Director.....

Portland Police Respond To Sex Crime Audit

By Rob Manning

Portland, OR October 30, 2007 3:42 p.m.

Five months after a troubling report from the Portland city auditor’s office found major problems in how officials respond to sex crimes, police leaders outlined Tuesday how things are improving.

City auditors sounded cautiously supportive of the changes, and commissioners applauded the actions – though some problems remain. Rob Manning reports.

A sexual assault case typically starts with call to 9-1-1. But according to an audit completed last June, that’s also where the problems begin.

Principal auditor, Ken Gavette, says that 9-1-1 dispatchers are supposed to advise rape victims on how to preserve DNA, or other evidence. Gavette says that information was not always getting through.

Ken Gavette: “They actually had in the training policies and procedures a good piece of information about what they should say, about telling victims about appropriate washing, going to the bathroom, and things like that – but they weren’t consistently giving that information out.”

Gavette says in some cases, the dispatchers didn’t pass the message along because police officers or nurses called – and dispatchers assumed law enforcement or medical professionals knew what to do. 9-1-1 call center supervisor Toni Sexton says that policy has been tightened.

Toni Sexton: “And we also are making sure that from now and on to advise the caller not to bathe, or not to wash anything that may contain evidence.”

Sexton says that advice is now issued whether it’s the victim, a relative, or a nurse calling. But while some of the personnel issues may be resolved, some technical issues remain.

For instance, at the same time that dispatchers notify a uniform officer to respond, experts say another call should alert a victim’s advocate. Police say the advocate call will be automated in a few months.

And, principal auditor Ken Gavette says there are other remaining issues – like hospitals not having equipment to process rape kits. And he says Multnomah County has fewer medical examiners qualified to deal with rape victims, than smaller counties.

Ken Gavette: “Multnomah County area lags far behind the rest of the state. Just for example, I mean Coos County has 12, Linn County has 15, Jackson County 23, and Multnomah County has 12.”

Read the rest here: http://news.opb.org/article/portland-police-respond-sex-crime-audit/