The Windsor Police Service is teaming up with several community organizations on a pilot project to provide immediate support to victims of intimate partner violence.
Windsor Regional Hospital, Hiatus House, and Family Services Windsor-Essex will join police in the pilot project that will see social workers available to provide immediate, on-site support in cases where intimate partner violence has been identified.
Under the program, officers will respond to calls for service, and specially trained social workers will then be called in to provide in-person trauma support, safety planning, and ongoing care to the victims.
Victims will also have access to 24/7 virtual support services through Hiatus House.
Windsor Police Chief Jason Bellaire says the rate of intimate partner violence continues to grow.
"This year through August 2024, Windsor police have responded to over 2,500 IPV-related incidents. That's a 7.1% increase compared to the same period last year, and it's climbing," he says.
Police say that 37.7% of all crimes against people and 44.3% of all assaults reported this year are related to IPV.
In 2023, two of the three homicides reported in Windsor had an IPV component linked to the investigation.
The body of 37-year-old Sahra Bulle was found in a field in June 2023 and her estranged husband was charged with first-degree murder.
In November 2023, 67-year-old Janice Madison was stabbed at a home in the 1400-block of Southdale Drive near South Pacific Avenue in Windsor. Her husband was later charged with first-degree murder.
Intimate partner violence can occur in any type of relationship and can include physical abuse, criminal harassment, sexual assault, financial exploitation, and coercive control.
"Social workers will deliver psychological first aid while on-scene with survivors. This trauma-informed approach not only meets the immediate need of survivors, but it also provides the opportunity to reduce the impacts associated with experiencing a trauma," she says.
Holmes says this real-time support will help form connections with victim services support in the community, ultimately leading to long-term recovery and resilience.
"This non-traditional initiative exemplifies the power of collaboration, communication, and decisive action. Together, we will ensure that Windsor-Essex is a place where intimate partner violence is no longer tolerated," she says.
The pilot program will run over the next three months from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday.
After that time, the program will be evaluated, but the long-term goal is to provide service around the clock, seven days a week.
Windsor police will be applying for provincial grant funding to support long-term efforts of the program.
If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call Victim Services Windsor Essex County at 519-723-2711 or the Victim Assistance Unit at Windsor Police at 519-255-6700, ext. 4879.