By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
August 17, 2011

Every day, three women in the U.S. are killed by an intimate partner. Every year, 2.3 million U.S. residents fall victim to domestic abuse.

Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders shared these statistics during an Aug. 10 check presentation at Newhouse, a women’s domestic violence shelter in Kansas City.

Domestic violence affects everyone and it’s the most unreported crime in the community, Sanders said.

But, Jackson County is taking a stand. Three domestic violence shelters, Newhouse, Hope House and Rose Brooks, each received a check from the Jackson County Board of Domestic Violence totaling $26,350. Earlier this year, the shelters each received $33,333 a 33 percent increase since last year.

It’s not just about checks, Sanders said. These funds impact lives, helping to reverse the trend of domestic abuse, he said.

“We’ve seen the decline in monies and support (from the community) over the last three years because of the economy, so any additional monies we can get is helpful,” Newhouse President Leslie Caplan told Northeast News.

Now in its 40th year, Newhouse continues to provide support and housing for abused women and their children. For the last two to three years, Newhouse’s 86 beds have regularly remained full, Caplan said.

“I don’t see the issue of domestic violence diminishing (soon),” Caplan said.

During the first six months of this year, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office saw 250 cases of violent domestic abuse. Those cases were either felonies or the defendant had previous convictions of domestic violence, Sanders said.

“I wish they (domestic violence shelters) could work themselves out of business, but unfortunately, that’s not the case,” Jackson County Legislator Teresa Garza Ruiz said.