SLCPD sees rise in domestic violence-related calls

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Police Department has been actively monitoring and tracking calls related to domestic violence. The numbers are showing that over the last two weeks, there has been an increase of 33% in these types of calls. The numbers have been increasing since the beginning of the year, but showed a dramatic uptick over the last two weeks.

“These are challenging times and people are under a lot of stress. Unfortunately, this stress can spill out into relationships,” said Chief Mike Brown. “It is never acceptable to perpetrate violence against another. We encourage people to find healthy ways of handling their stress and to think twice before acting in anger.”

Salt Lake City Police Department takes domestic violence very seriously. Preventing a person from leaving the home, taking their phone, and threatening to harm themselves or others if the person leaves or ends the relationship are all very serious forms of domestic violence.

“Neighbors, families, and friends, please keep an eye out and notify us if you suspect there is a case of interpersonal violence,” Brown said. “We are here to help.”

Salt Lake City Police Department has Victim Advocates, who are trained to help people who find themselves in situations like these. We can provide help with advocacy within the criminal justice system, resources, crisis counseling, referrals to community and victim services, lethality or danger assessments, personalized safety plans, or just listen. We can now obtain protective orders online or over the phone in keeping with social distancing. We encourage anyone who has experienced this type of behavior to call us at 799-3000 and ask to speak with a Victim Advocate or call their 24-hour hotline directly at 801-580-7969. All services are free, and callers can get information anonymously.

Individuals can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or the Utah LINKLine at 1-800-897-5465 for confidential assistance.

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