October 28, 2015

From July 2014 through September 2015, about two-thirds of the 316 Chester County residents identified as possessing a high risk for domestic violence received preventive services, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan announced in a press release that Chester County leads the state in its use of the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP), considered a best practice to protect the safety of victims of domestic violence.

“LAP is about saving lives.  Many victims do not realize the danger they are in at the hands of their abusers until they go through the LAP screening or are already badly injured, and the latter is too late,” Deputy District Attorney Michelle Frei, the county’s lead domestic violence prosecutor, said in the release.  “Once the LAP screening takes place, domestic violence victims hopefully will recognize the danger and reach out for the services that we have available here in Chester County.  The goal is to identify the danger before the case turns into a homicide.”

LAP is a comprehensive protocol followed by police when responding to domestic violence calls.  LAP uses a series of screening questions that have been proven to be strong predictors of both past and future extreme violence.  Some of these questions include: (1) Has he/she ever tried to kill himself/herself? (2) Does he/she have a gun, or can he/she get one easily? and (3) Do you have a child that he/she knows is not his/hers?

Application of LAP provides two primary benefits.  First, LAP is a strong predictive tool.  The data gathered from LAP allows the police to determine which domestic violence incidents are likely to accelerate later into extreme violence.  The police can use this information to allocate resources effectively for these cases, potentially preventing a homicide.

Secondly, following the guidelines in LAP protects victims by providing them immediate access to the services of the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County (DVCCC), which has resources to provide counseling, shelter, and other immediate needs for domestic violence victims.

Thirty-five police departments in Chester County have been trained on how to implement the LAP protocol and 30 of those departments are actively using LAP.  From July 1, 2014, through September 2015, Chester County police departments screened 479 victims, 201 of whom received services.

Dolly Wideman-Scott, CEO of the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County (DVCCC), praised the practice.

“LAP gets victims to services faster,” she said in the release.  “We know when the police are at the scene of a domestic violence situation, victims will get connected to life-saving services provided by the Domestic Violence Center and this will impact their safety.”

DVCCC has awarded certificates of appreciation to the participating police departments, which include Kennett Square, Lincoln University, New Garden, Westtown-East Goshen, West Goshen, West Chester, and West Whiteland.

“Some of the most chilling homicides in Chester County have been the result of domestic violence…,” said Hogan in the release.  “The LAP protocol gives law enforcement a powerful tool to combat domestic abuse.  Moreover, victims are empowered to seek help and made aware of the danger they are in. “

 

As cooler air and the potential for winter weather settle into Pennsylvania, PennDOT is urging motorists to join the department’s 4,800 operators and roughly 2,200 trucks in preparing for the season.

“PennDOT’s staff and equipment are working hard to be ready for winter’s arrival, and drivers are a huge part of our mission to keep roads as safe as possible this winter,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said in a press release. “Motorists should prepare themselves and their vehicles now, before winter weather hits.”

PennDOT is responsible for more than 40,000 miles of state-maintained roadway or 96,000 snow-lane miles – enough miles to circle the globe nearly four times. A snow-lane is calculated as the miles of road multiplied by the number of lanes, which means a one-mile section of four-lane roadway would equal four snow-lane miles.

The department maintains roughly the same number of miles maintained by the state in New York, New Jersey and all of the New England states combined.

“With this number of road miles, we have to prioritize our services,” Richards said in the release. “By preparing for winter weather now and making smart decisions about travel when storms are approaching, the public can help make this winter a safe one.”

To prepare for winter driving, especially if long-distance travel is planned, motorists should carry an emergency kit, including items such as non-perishable food, water, first-aid supplies, warm clothes, a blanket, cell phone charger and a small snow shovel. However, motorists should tailor their kits to any specific needs that they or their families may have. Consider adding such items as baby supplies, extra medication, pet supplies, or even children’s games.

When winter weather hits, PennDOT’s primary focus is on interstates and expressways, and equipment may be redirected to these routes during significant winter events. The more traffic a roadway has, the more attention it will receive from plows, so motorists may find deeper accumulations on less-traveled routes and should adjust their driving for those conditions.

If motorists encounter snow or ice-covered roads, they should slow down, increase their following distance and avoid distractions. Last winter, there were 552 crashes resulting in four fatalities and 279 injuries on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roadways where aggressive-driving behaviors such as speeding or making careless lane changes were factors in the crash.

PennDOT last winter used nearly 1.2 million tons of salt on state-owned roads. Currently, PennDOT has more than 667,000 tons of salt stockpiled and will continue to take salt deliveries throughout the winter. PennDOT has agreements with 659 municipalities for them to clear state roads within their borders. The department also rents approximately 270 trucks and operators to assist with snow removal.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras.

For more information on PennDOT’s winter preparations and additional winter-driving resources for motorists, visit the department’s winter Web page, www.PennDOT.gov/winter.