After 12 murders last year were linked to domestic violence, it was the topic of a Tulsa public safety summit today.
Several law enforcement agencies and victim services groups were represented. Mayor Dewey Bartlett said he was surprised to hear how often domestic violence turns into homicide, especially when drugs or alcohol are involved.
"We can't just walk away from it," Bartlett said. "We have to deal with it very directly and very harshly, but also do it in a way that it doesn't become a recurring problem."
TPD Chief Chuck Jordan said there are myriad reasons why victims stay.
"This person that's the abuser is probably their provider, is probably the father of their children," Jordan said. "Sometimes it's just simple fear. They think that they can survive with minimal injury, and that beats what the options might be if they actually leave."
Jordan said one of the most challenging aspects of domestic violence is it’s a behind-closed-doors crime, so police rely on victims to report it.
Bartlett said one issue is multigenerational violence: Kids of abusers become abusers. Retired Nashville Police Lt. Mark Wynn was over the domestic violence division. He’s been following a Baylor neurologist’s research.
"There's a huge impact on exposure, but now we're realizing that, that exposure at the first year of a child's life is just as critical as a child 8 or 9 years old."
Wynn said Tulsa has the services to help victims leave their abusers, but the community has to help them.
