Greensboro’s Police Chief says domestic violence has surged 40% this year. Police and advocates share how to recognize abuse and where victims can find help.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Domestic violence is tearing apart more families in Greensboro.
Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson said it’s a disturbing trend officers have noticed.
While overall homicides are down significantly, the rise in violence at home has police on alert. Thompson said this year the number of domestic violence aggravated assaults jumped by a staggering 40%.
Another troubling statistic, Thompson said, is that nearly a quarter of the city’s homicides are related to domestic violence.
“This year we’re up almost 40 to 45% in domestic violence aggravated assaults, which is extremely concerning for us because those aggravated assaults are, you know, one step away from a homicide,” said Thompson. “Unfortunately this year, 9 or 10 of our 42 homicides were domestic-related, so a good portion of our homicides this year were domestic-related.”
What makes this even more alarming is that while domestic violence cases rise, the number of people reaching out for help isn’t.
Catherine Johnson, director of the Guilford County Family Justice Center, said they are ready to help those in crisis. The center is a safe haven for victims, offering legal support, victim advocacy, medical help, and shelter.
Domestic violence may be hard to talk about, but Johnson said it affects more people than you might realize.
“If you live in a home with violence and abuse, and that’s—national statistics say—1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men will be impacted, so that’s very much a mainstream issue, but it’s something most people don’t talk about, most people keep it silent and are told to keep it silent,” said Johnson. “And so part of our work is outreach and community engagement and kind of breaking, lifting the veil of silence.”
Local organizations available to help victims of domestic violence include:
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