A new partnership has been formed by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office to provide rural law enforcement agencies with better equipment, resources, and training to improve responses to domestic violence incidents.
Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced Thursday that her office has partnered with the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence (MCADV) through a three-year, $1 million federal grant.
“I appreciate Attorney General Lynn Fitch for her leadership and partnership as we work together to strengthen our statewide response and ultimately reduce domestic violence and domestic violence-related fatalities,” MCADV CEO Lanisha G. Bell said.
“This federal award provides an important opportunity to build upon existing partnerships and strengthen Mississippi’s coordinated response to domestic violence,” Bell continued. “Through continued training, listening sessions, and meaningful collaboration with law enforcement and community partners, we can ensure those responding to domestic violence have the tools, resources, and support needed to enhance victim and officer safety.”
Over 300 laptops and other resources will be purchased with the goal of improving response to domestic violence calls. Additionally, support training and materials on law enforcement response will be provided to the rural police officers to better help them serve the victims.
“Domestic violence calls are among the most frequent and dangerous situations that law enforcement officers police,” Fitch said. “It is important for the safety of everyone, including the officers and the victims, that our law enforcement are equipped with the best tools, resources, and information.
“My office has made development of these resources, including the MS Domestic Violence Registry, MS Protection Order Registry, and an online program to create a Domestic Abuse Protection Order, a priority. But lack of equipment, especially for small, rural law enforcement agencies, continues to make access to these resources hard. This grant will help make sure that officers can get what they need when they need it.”