How the Twin Cities is working to improve responses to domestic violence calls. Then, Minnesota secures a win for crime victims. And, health officials report new measles cases across the state.
—–Executive Producer: Victor Palomino Producer: Katharine DeCelle Anchor: Chantel SinGsReader scripting: Victor Palomino Fact checking: Joel Glaser, Victor Palomino Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood
Transcript
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: How is the Twin Cities working to improve responses to domestic violence calls? Then, Minnesota secures a win for crime victims. And, health officials report new measles cases across the state.
I'm Chantel SinGs.
Minnesota Attorney General announced that the Trump Administration's Department of Justice has dropped plans to impose restrictions based on immigration status for Victims of Crime Act grants. The Attorney General's office led a coalition of 20 states in filing a lawsuit to block the move. The decision secures about 22 million dollars for Minnesota victims and survivors, supporting services like emergency shelters, crime scene cleanup, and sexual assault exams.
Next, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In recognition, we're taking a look at a new pilot program aimed at helping the Minneapolis Police Department's response to domestic violence calls. Katharine DeCelle has more.
Avonn Winston: He told them, he told the world that he was going to kill her.
Katharine DeCelle: That's Avonn Winston, cousin of Mariah Samuels, a Minneapolis woman who was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend after he posted threatening messages on social media, stalked her and assaulted her on camera.
Avonn Winston: Her assailant was on federal and state parole.
Katharine DeCelle: In August, Mariah Samuels filed charges and was granted a protective order against her abuser.
Avonn Winston: Once Mariah received that order of protection, he should have automatically been violated. He should have been arrested prior to the murder.
Katharine DeCelle: Avonn says Mariah did everything that she was supposed to do to get out of an abusive relationship.
Avonn Winston: The parole officer was aware that he was committing these crimes when he beat Mariah three days before her death. She assumed that charges were being pressed. That he would be charged and picked up for assaulting her.
Katharine DeCelle: Days before her death, Mariah Samuels posted on her public Facebook page video from her doorbell camera of her abuser beating her. And just minutes before she died, Mariah posted how frustrated she was with the police not doing anything to protect her.
Avonn Winston: I don't understand what more they needed to remove this criminal from the streets. They failed to protect her, from the top of the Minnesota Department of Corrections to the Federal Bureau of Parole, to the Minneapolis Police.
Katharine DeCelle: Only 20% of Minneapolis domestic violence calls result in an official report or arrest. This according to a 2017 study done by the Minneapolis Police Conduct Oversight Commission.
Amirithini Keefe: We want domestic violence survivors to have different experiences, to have better experiences.
Katharine DeCelle: That's Amirithini Keefe of the Domestic Abuse Project in Minneapolis. She's part of a group that created the Domestic Violence Response Team, a new process that helps the Minneapolis Police Department, or MPD, better serve survivors.
Amirithini Keefe: In July, our partners in MPD trained up all of the officers in the Fourth Precinct. They began utilizing this new process and this new risk assessment document.
Katharine DeCelle: The new assessment document helps police ask better questions during domestic calls. That information is then shared with the judicial system and domestic violence specialists, ideally connecting victims to more resources and helping the courts hold offenders responsible for their actions.
Amirithini Keefe: They're very limited in the number of police officers that they have to respond. We have these different system partners that are involved and advocates are involved because we recognize that we all have opportunities for making changes.
Katharine DeCelle: The Domestic Violence Response Team pilot program recently expanded in hopes of saving more lives from domestic violence. For North Star Stories, I'm Katharine DeCelle.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
The Minnesota Department of Health, or MDH, is urging families to check their vaccinations after confirming 10 new measles cases, bringing the state's total to 18 this year. Seven of the recent cases were within families who had recent domestic travel and were related to three other cases already reported. Three additional cases were tied to international travel. Initial symptoms of measles include a fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes, followed by a rash. More information about measles can be found on the MDH Measles website.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.