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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month provides an opportunity for the Houston Police Department to bring additional attention to an underreported crime.

Victims are usually, but not always, women, with one in four women experiencing domestic violence in her lifetime.  It affects people of all ages and all ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, sometimes with deadly results.

In the first nine months of this year, HPD officers have responded to more than 21,600 reports of domestic violence.  This crime can be physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or economic and can include both a suspect’s actions and threats of actions.  Officers have filed more than 4,000 domestic violence-related charges and arrested more than 3,100 suspects.

HPD has an entire division, the Special Victims Division, dedicated to investigating domestic violence and helping victims access the resources they need to get to safety and rebuild their lives.

For the rest of October, Houstonians are asked to wear purple to help call attention to domestic violence, and to encourage everyone to talk about this issue and why ending it is so important.

For more information on this topic, the resources available, and to find brochures in six languages visit HPD’s website under the Domestic Violence section at http://www.houstontx.gov/police/keep_houston_safe/index.htm