- A new report shows a 61% jump in the number of reporter domestic violence victims from 2015 to 2022.
- The Douglas County Attorney's Office will receive funding from the city and county to hire a new domestic violence prosecutor and a liaison
- Watch to learn more about the fight to end domestic violence in Douglas County
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A new report from the Women's Fund of Omaha shows a growing problem in our neighborhoods. The non-profit's data shows a 61% jump in the number of reporter domestic violence victims from 2015 to 2022.
The county attorney's office is now straining to handle the rising work load. We spoke with Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine about new resources his office is getting to bring justice to victims.
"I believe that we're doing a good job in this but that we need more help," said Kleine.
And soon they'll have it, the Douglas County Attorney's office will receive funding to hire new staff dedicated to fighting this type of crime. A new prosecutor will focus on getting convictions and a liaison will work with survivors as they prepare to testify against their abusers.
The money for the position comes from both the City of Omaha and the county.
"The most important part of this is to stay on top of these cases, we find that, some of the cases that I've handled or that we've handled that ended up as homicides or very serious acts started out as maybe something smaller," said Kleine.
The ultimate goal: to get more abusers off the street.
At the Women's Fund of Omaha, Tia Manning is working to help women find freedom from violence.
"Domestic violence impacts the community," said Manning.
She's optimistic the new positions in the county will help survivors start to heal.
"There could be the need for therapy, there's conversation again what it looks like to provide support whether that be housing support, economic support, if there's kiddos involved and things like that," said Manning
Attorney Kleine's hope is that the new hires will help move cases forward rapidly.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse you can call this National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233
