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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESPONSE TEAM (DVRT) The Chesterfield Township Police Department in collaboration with Providence House Domestic Violence Services of Catholic Charities, are currently recruiting volunteers for their Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT). Team members work in conjunction with the police to provide victim support, information, and referral at the time of a domestic violence crisis. A few hours of your time can make a difference in someone's life. Domestic Violence is a problem. Are you willing to be part of the solution? Applicants must be:
A 40-hour mandatory intensive training course is required and will be provided to successful applicants. The course is held over a six-week period, during evening hours, and includes observations at Superior Court in Mount Holly. There is no fee for the course. An understanding of domestic violence issues is a plus, as is any bilingual capability. Click here for an application or E-MAIL POLICE LIAISONS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON JOINING THE TEAM. Frequently Asked Questions What is the Domestic Violence Response Team? The Domestic Violence Response Team is a twenty-four hour a day, seven-day a week program created to assist victims of domestic abuse. Team members will be called upon by the local Police to assist victims at the police station by providing them with support and information. The goal of the program is to provide victims with the knowledge to make informed decisions based upon the options available to them. Do I need specialized training? Yes, Providence House will provide training to you at no charge. As a team member volunteer, you will initially receive forty hours of training, conducted over a six to eight week period. This training will give you an understanding of what domestic violence is all about and leave you prepared to respond and provide assistance to victims. Are there special qualifications to become a member? Applicants must possess minimal qualifications; no experience is necessary. The
following is a list of the minimum standards: How often will I be on-call? With a full running staff, the response team will need volunteers to be on call four 12-hour shifts per month. During that time, you will be required to respond to the police station as needed. You will schedule your availability with the team leader. Why should I become a volunteer? By
volunteering for the DVRT, you will….. How do I
become a volunteer? Contact Chesterfield Twp. Police Department at 609-291-0912 (email here) or the DVRT Coordinator at Providence House of Catholic Charities 856-904-0599. If you are ready to fill out an application, you may download it here. (Application will be available on line soon, please contact the Police Department if interested). You will submit the completed application to the police department at which time a background investigation will be done. If you are eligible to work as a partner-in-service with the police, you will be contacted for an interview. After the interview process you may be invited to participate in the training process. Domestic Violence (The information in this section was retrieved from the National Domestic Violence Hotline) THE FACTS In the United States
In New Jersey in 2006 § There were 73,749 domestic violence offenses reported by the police in 2006, a 3 percent decrease compared to the 75,651 reported in 2005. § Murders increased 2 percent in 2006 (42) when compared to 2005 (41). § Assaults accounted for 44 percent (32,450) and harassment accounted for 41 percent (30,532) of the reported offenses in 2006. § Arrests were made in 31 percent (22,700) of the offenses reported for 2006, a decrease of less than one-half of one percent when compared to arrests made in 2005. § The most frequent day of domestic violence occurrences was Sunday (13,504). § For the twenty-fourth consecutive year, the most frequent hours of domestic violence incidents were between 8:00 p.m. and midnight, when 27 percent (19,886) of the offenses were reported. § Children were involved or present during 33 percent of all domestic violence offenses occurring in 2006. Specifically, 5 percent (3,888) were involved and 28 percent (20,857) were present. § Wives were the victims in 20 percent (15,104) and ex-wives were the victims in 3 percent (2,407) of the reported domestic violence offenses in 2006. Overall, females were victims in 77 percent (56,661) of all domestic violence offenses. § The number of domestic violence complaints that had prior court orders issued against the offender decreased from 15,558 in 2005 to 15,481 in 2006. This is a decrease of less than one-half of one percent. § Alcohol and/or drugs were involved in 28 percent (20,603) of the reported offenses occurring in 2006. Alcohol involvement alone accounted for 25 percent (18,164) of the total domestic violence offenses reported. § Persons age 60 or over were victims in 3 percent (2,251) of all reported domestic violence offenses that occurred in 2006. § Elderly were the victims in 12 percent (5) of the domestic violence murders (42). § Domestic violence does not occur at a regular frequency, but when viewed as a ratio of its occurrence to a fixed time interval, one act of domestic violence would occur every 7 minutes and 7 seconds. § Domestic violence offenses arising from a dating relationship accounted for 15 percent (10,865) of the state total. § There were 3,102 total arrests involving domestic violence restraining orders reported by police in 2006. Of these, 1,818 were arrests for violations of a restraining order only, while 1,284 were arrests for violations of a restraining order with an offense arrest. The New Jersey Prevention of Domestic Violence Act
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS BEING ABUSED; BREAK THE CYCLE, END THE SILENCE!!!
MAKE A CONFIDENTIAL CALL FOR HELP TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAM IN BURLINGTON COUNTY AT 1-877-871-7551 OR STATEWIDE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE AT 1-800-572-SAFE (BILINGUAL, TTY-ACCESSIBLE FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED) |