Domestic Violence

Police officers and prosecutors in 32 jurisdictions across the state will have another weapon in the battle against domestic violence, courtesy of federal funding: instant photographs to document the damage done by an abuser.Police, prosecutors and Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend gathered yesterday at Maryland State Police headquarters in Pikesville to announce the distribution of 400 Polaroid Spectra cameras and film to law enforcement. The announcement was followed by a training session for about two dozen officers who will use the $250 cameras when they respond to domestic-violence calls.

Regarding the recent Senate renewal of the Violence Against Women Act ("Showdowns loom on Capitol Hill," April 26), it's important to remember the tragic life and death of Yeardley Love, who was left battered, bruised and bleeding alone in her room by an abusive ex-boyfriend. I went to the same high school as Yeardley. Notre Dame Preparatory School. We wore the same uniform, walked the same halls, wore the same ring and experienced everything else NDP had to offer. Although I didn't know her personally, I still feel connected to her. What happened to her could easily have happened to me or any other NDP girl.

As they sort through nearly two dozen domestic-violence initiatives this year, Maryland lawmakers are focusing on improvements to protective orders that they hope would make abuse victims safer. Ideas include adding another year if the subject of a protective order commits a new offense soon after the expiration of the first order and adding the alleged victim's pets to the stay-away provision. Cynthia M. Lifson, legislative counsel for the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence, said she believes many of the domestic-violence bills have the "votes and momentum" to make it out of a legislative committee that has batted down similar legislation in years past.

A Baltimore police major who heads the Northern District station participated in a domestic violence workshop sponsored by the White House this week. Maj. Sabrina Tapp-Harper joined the lieutenant governor and others, including the mother of Yeardley Love, whose daughter from Cockeysville was killed by her boyfriend at the University of Virginia . The meeting, opened by Vice President Joe Biden, came just before the Senate is to vote on a bill that contains funds for the Violence Against Women act. It would allocate money to local law enforcement agencies to combat domestic violence and to shelters for battered women and rape crisis centers.

It might be only a few hundred dollars to the thief who broke into a Towson church, but to victims of domestic violence, the stolen money was meant to offer a fresh start.Officials of the Active Coalition for Transitional Services (ACTS) said someone broke into a space they use at the First Lutheran Church of Towson and stole a water cooler jug containing about $300 in change.The organization provides services for survivors of domestic violence and their children, and the money was part of a fund-raiser for the private, nonprofit group.

Los Angels -- WHAT LOVE Canal did for toxic waste, what Anita Hill did for sexual harassment and what Magic Johnson did for AIDS, the O.J. Simpson saga is on the verge of doing for domestic violence. Contrary to conventional wisdom, this is not a good thing.Special-interest advocates argue that what each of those high-profile cases of victimization did was "raise awareness" about sensitive issues. True enough. But any real gains that came from heightened public attention to those problems have been erased by a destructive tornado of expansive government intervention, irresponsible public policy, profligate spending and widespread miseducation.

Susan Reimer highlights several positive steps that insurance companies are taking (with a nudge from the federal government) to enhance the physical and emotional well-being of women in this country ("Big step forward for women's health," Aug. 15). Included among the preventative care measures is a mandate that counseling for domestic violence victims be provided without a co-pay or deductible. Yet while this provision is to be applauded, it does not ensure that similar services are available for male victims of domestic violence.

Children often witness domestic violence, but social workers have had no standardized way to examine how they are affected by it. Now, Baltimore County's social services department has partnered with experts from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Minnesota to develop a screening tool that would, for the first time, quantify the impact of domestic violence on children. "There is no specific protocol, and particularly for the really young kids, on how you assess the level of domestic violence," said Kathleen King, a supervisor with Child Protective Services.

The state plans to open its sixth hospital-based domestic violence program in Hagerstown, officials said today. Other programs have been opened in Baltimore-area hospitals and this will be the first in Western Maryland, according to Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, who has worked to expand programs since 2008 when his cousin was killed in 2008 by an estranged boyfriend. He joined advocates and officials in announcing the program at Meritus Medical Center., which will be funded with $50,000 in state grant money and $16,000 from CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield for the first year.

Thanks, but we'll pass. With great fanfare, the office of Baltimore City Councilman Robert W. Curran sent out a email to reporters declaring that domestic violence is “a fundamental human right.” The missive went on to say: “Baltimore is only the second city in the country (after Cincinnatti) to recognize this right.” It's tempting to wonder what other heretofore unrecognized human rights are about to be newly affirmed.  But when we called the councilman to inquire, there was a long moment of silence.

There's a hidden jewel in Owings Mills and one that exists because of a greater good. Ruth's Closet, a resale boutique, offers women's clothing, shoes, and accessories. Every day brings a new treasure, and at bargain prices. Tired of your Jimmy Choo shoes, outgrown that cashmere sweater? No worries, donate those items to Ruth's Closet and your generosity will be far-reaching. This boutique is staffed primarily by volunteers and 100 percent of the profits go to the House of Ruth Maryland.

Thanks, but we'll pass. With great fanfare, the office of Baltimore City Councilman Robert W. Curran sent out a email to reporters declaring that domestic violence is “a fundamental human right.” The missive went on to say: “Baltimore is only the second city in the country (after Cincinnatti) to recognize this right.” It's tempting to wonder what other heretofore unrecognized human rights are about to be newly affirmed.  But when we called the councilman to inquire, there was a long moment of silence.

All of us have let that message with an error in it get away from us. All of us have submitted texts bearing typos or the wrong homonym. All of who edit have overlooked gross blunders or, worse, inserted them in someone else's text. All of us are fallible mortals deserving of sympathy, even forgiveness. And yet, some blunders are too delicious to ignore. Such a one flew over the transom today in a news release from the office of Baltimore City Councilman Robert W. Curran proclaiming:  Attached please find a copy of a press release and accompanying resolution declaring domestic violence to be a fundamental human right.

The state plans to open its sixth hospital-based domestic violence program in Hagerstown, officials said today. Other programs have been opened in Baltimore-area hospitals and this will be the first in Western Maryland, according to Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, who has worked to expand programs since 2008 when his cousin was killed in 2008 by an estranged boyfriend. He joined advocates and officials in announcing the program at Meritus Medical Center., which will be funded with $50,000 in state grant money and $16,000 from CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield for the first year.

Children often witness domestic violence, but social workers have had no standardized way to examine how they are affected by it. Now, Baltimore County's social services department has partnered with experts from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Minnesota to develop a screening tool that would, for the first time, quantify the impact of domestic violence on children. "There is no specific protocol, and particularly for the really young kids, on how you assess the level of domestic violence," said Kathleen King, a supervisor with Child Protective Services.

Baltimore County has had two murder-suicides, homicides within families and among longtime friends, and an increase in suicides in the past few months. And on Tuesday evening, officers defused a hostage situation on the 12th floor of a high rise. The recent spate of violence prompted health officials and police to organize a news conference Wednesday that addressed holiday stress and the tragedies that can occur when family, friends and neighbors miss the signs of emotional, economic or physical troubles in others.

Marylanders might soon be able to erase from the public record any evidence that they were falsely accused of domestic violence. A bill moving rapidly through the General Assembly would still allow victims' rights groups to view such information, a nuance that allowed the measure to pass without opposition in the House of Delegates. It is set for a Senate hearing today. "The bill allows us to continue to help victims," said Lisae C. Jordan of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

The entire governing board of Howard County's Domestic Violence Center is resigning to make way for a new, county government-selected group of volunteers after several weeks of turmoil, its president said late Monday Bernie Bradley, the board president, said all but six board members resigned Friday, and she and the remaining five others plan to step down as soon as Tuesday if county officials can find enough volunteers to replace them. Organization and county officials said victims of domestic violence will not be affected.

Are forced marriages a major issue in the United States - even here in Maryland? The problem might not get a lot of attention, but it is bigger than most people realize. In fact, there is growing concern over forced marriages, including in the Baltimore-Washington area. A recent survey conducted by a national nonprofit organization, Tahirih Justice Center, which has offices in Virginia, Maryland and Texas, found about 3,000 known and suspected cases of forced marriages in the in the last two years nationwide.

State: From July 2009 to June 2010, 38 people were killed in domestic violence incidents in Maryland, including seven in Anne Arundel County, two in Prince George's County, two in Montgomery County, and one in Howard County. Eighteen of the 38 were females: 10 were killed by boyfriends, seven by ex-boyfriends and one by a relative. Eighteen of the 38 were males: Five were killed by an intimate partner or ex-girlfriend; five committed suicide after killing or attempting to murder a girlfriend; three were killed by wives or ex-wives; two were killed by police after murdering or attempting to murder a girlfriend; one was killed by a girlfriend; one was killed by an ex-girlfriend; one was killed by a relative.