The Ontario government has announced $175,000 in funding to support a program aimed at providing early intervention to reduce the risk of intimate partner violence in Windsor.
In June 2024, the Windsor Police Service and Family Services Windsor-Essex launched the IPV Early Intervention and Prevention Pilot Project.
As part of the program, police interactions involving intimate partner conflicts that don't result in criminal charges will be channelled to the program, and with the consent of those affected, FSWE representatives would follow up to assess their needs and connect them with the appropriate supports, such as counselling and safety planning.
Staff Sergeant Rich Sieberer with the Windsor Police Special Victims Unit says this is all about identifying situations before they reach the threshold of criminal conduct that escalates to violence.
"It's a real shift for the police service because we're going from reactive to proactive prevention with the hope of having a very robust prevention program so that we're going to lower calls for service, lower arrests, and less people are going to go through the court system and all the issues caused by that," he says.
The funding will allow for two FSWE employees to be dedicated full-time to the program, which will now include a partnership with Windsor Regional Hospital and Hiatus House moving forward.
Since being launched in June 2024, 436 people have been referred to the program, with 48 per cent receiving internal or external support. 28 per cent declined service.
Sieberer says they are happy with the numbers so far.
"By leveraging the expertise of these community partners, we can get to the bottom of these issues and hopefully stop it before violence occurs. I think it helps the community as a whole by getting to them early and trying to help them," he says.
Intimate partner violence can occur in any type of relationship. Violence can include physical abuse, criminal harassment, sexual assault, financial exploitation, and coercive control.
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.