By Joshua Huff, sports editor
Domestic violence cases have increased since Jefferson County instituted a shelter-in-place order in March, officials from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office said that in comparing domestic violence cases throughout March of this past year and March of 2020, the department has seen a 27% increase in domestic violence cases. In 2019, deputies responded to 111 domestic violence calls, and this past March, the department responded to 141 calls. The department did stipulate that it is unsure if the increase in domestic violence cases is a direct result of people forced to remain indoors, but “it certainly raises some questions.”
“During this difficult time, everyone is on edge and anxieties are high,” the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a press release. “Many people are concerned over finances, health and the stress of the disruption of normal activity. Try planning activities that will encourage fond memories, like going through old photos of happy times or cooking a favorite meal together. We also understand that sometimes, no matter what attempts are made, the situation cannot be resolved or it may be a pre-existing violent relationship that is worsened by the current stressors forced by Covid-19. Should you need assistance with a violent party, please reach out. There are still services available to those in a violent situation.”
On a positive note, the department added that statistics show there was a decrease in both violent crime and property crime this past March compared to March of last year.
As a result of the increase in domestic violence cases, the sheriff’s office offered several alternatives instead of turning to violence of any kind:
- Take a walk. Should tensions begin to build, citizens can still take a walk around their neighborhood. Hopefully, this will allow both parties to have the opportunity to cool down and keep the argument from escalating. Just remember to practice the social distancing guidelines while in public.
- Try to talk things out rather than allowing a disagreement to become physical. Avoiding raising your voice or using overly emphatic hand gestures can go a long way in keeping a disagreement under control. Even if the other party is yelling, lowering your tone and volume can often cause the other person to lower theirs as well.
- Settle arguments with words, not fists. Never raise your hand against another person in an emotional rage.
- Clearly and calmly state what you feel the disagreement is about to the other party. Often times, an argument can develop over nothing more than one party not understanding what point the other person is trying to make. By trying this, you may actually discover that you and the other party actually have the same opinion, but are stating it differently.
The sheriff’s department also list several contact to reach out to should a potential violent situation arise:
- YWCA – The YWCA offers a 24 hour crisis line (205-322-HURT [4878]). Their 24 hour emergency domestic violence shelters are also open and operational.
- Crisis Center Birmingham – The Crisis Center continues to provide 24 hour services:
- Crisis and Suicide Line – 205-323-7777
- Rape Response Hotline – 205-323-7273
- Recovery Crisis Line – 205-458-3377
- Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office Victim’s Assistance Unit – 205-325-5260 On-Call Victim Assistance Officers are available
- HICA – Hispanic Interest Coalition Alabama 205-942-5505 Services and Support for Alabama’s Hispanic community