Redwood City – San Mateo County supervisors – concerned over the pervasiveness of domestic violence – today advanced an initiative that will send survivor advocates along with police to certain 911 calls.
Once a scene is secure – and a survivor is willing – a survivor advocate from the new Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team will offer services and support. This will include help finding emergency shelter, navigating the legal system and locating swift and ongoing support and care.
“This pilot, born out of the Domestic Violence Council Task Force formed last year, is an exciting example of what can happen when all our agencies work together to meet the moment when survivors need support the most,” said Supervisor Noelia Corzo, chair of the Domestic Violence Council. “We hope this pilot will save lives.”
The Domestic Violence Council Task Force was formed in 2023 following the deaths of five women at the hands of their abusers. The new response team is born from evidence-based findings that immediate intervention with trained advocates can save lives in addition to preventing future abuse.
Supervisors today selected Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse, or CORA, as the County’s partner in establishing the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team. Supervisors authorized the County Executive’s Office to negotiate a contract with CORA to operate an 18-month pilot response program.
“We know that the earlier we can engage a family and their children in a range of services including counseling, the more likely a family can move away from a cycle of abuse,” said Karen Ferguson, CEO of CORA. “This program, partnering with law enforcement response to domestic related incidents, offers vital community support.”
As a pilot program, the program will begin with the police departments of Daly City and San Mateo and the Sheriff Office’s North Fair Oaks bureau. Under a protocol under development, law enforcement is responsible for stabilizing a scene (halting a crime, arresting a suspect, ensuring the safety of a victim, for instance).
Once the scene is stabilized, CORA’s survivor advocate would provide support and an array of services. Advocates will be trained in culturally competent response. Advocate services are to be available about 40 hours per week with a flexible schedule as needed. When an advocate is not available, law enforcement will provide information about CORA’s 24-hour services.
Sheriff Christina Corpus said, “Together, we stand united against domestic violence. Our co-response task force exemplifies our unwavering commitment to protect and support victims and to bring an end to domestic violence. Through collaboration and dedication, we are creating a safer, stronger community for all.”
Supervisors authorized negotiating a contract with CORA for up to $800,000. Funds from the Measure K local half-cent sales tax will provide seed money for the pilot. Officials will assess the program’s effectiveness throughout the pilot period.
By the Numbers:
► One in five women in California who become homeless said intimate partner violence was the reason for leaving their last housing, according to a report by the UCSF Benioff Homeless and Housing Initiative.
► In 2022, there were 1.37 million incidents of domestic violence victimization, according to the U.S. Bureau of Criminal Justice Statistics. More than half of female homicide victims are killed by a current or former male intimate partner, and 96 percent of murder-suicide victims are female, according to a study published by National Institutes for Health.
► Here in San Mateo County, 911 dispatchers receive, on average, nearly five calls per day, 365 days a year, reporting domestic violence, according to the state Attorney General’s Office. Nearly half of intimate partner abuse and domestic violence victimizations are not reported to police.
Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer
mdurand@smcgov.org