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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Medford police say domestic violence intervention is preventing homicides, Medford police say domestic violence intervention is preventing homicides Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM Where to turn --> If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation and in need of outreach, Medford police Officer Bob McCurley says there are multiple ways to get in touch with the department's domest... » Read more X Where to turn If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation and in need of outreach, Medford police Officer Bob McCurley says there are multiple ways to get in touch with the department's domestic violence staff. Those looking to speak directly with law enforcement can reach McCurley by phone at 541-774-2283 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Abuse survivors can also contact advocates through Community Works' 24-hour hotline at 541-779-4357. » Social News Medford police say the city's last two years without a domestic violence homicide are the result of a little-known program that's working to keep abuse survivors and their abusers separate. The Medford Police Department's domestic violence outreach program, which was implemented full-time roughly a year and a half ago using federal grant money, pairs veteran Officer Bob McCurley with a trained domestic violence advocate from Community Works. McCurley says that in any given week, the pair follow up on 15 to 20 domestic violence cases recently handled by officers, as well as potentially dangerous situations that are self-reported by abuse survivors or referred to the department by community organizations. McCurley says he isn't trying necessarily to investigate the existing criminal case further, but to make sure that the abuse survivors are safe and that they know what housing, medical and counseling resources are available to them. The ultimate goal, he says, is trying to persuade abuse survivors not to reconnect with their abuser. The officer says he's found it most effective to build relationships with individual representatives of local assistance organizations, rather than simply refer survivors to them. "I have a person I work with from the Department of Veterans Affairs, so if a victim or an abuser is a veteran, they can do outreach," McCurley says as an example. Police Chief Tim George says that in Oregon, homicide victims are more likely than not to have known their killer intimately. "This is one of those times where stepping in front really makes a difference," George says. "We haven't had a domestic violence homicide in more than two years." Part of the department's response to that trend is being implemented in the form of a new lethality assessment, a questionnaire that officers responding to domestic violence calls can use to identify those at the highest risk of escalating violence and most in need of outreach from local domestic violence advocates. "It's going to be rolled out countywide," George says. "In October, we're going to train the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Central Point." Police asked that the Community Works advocate, a woman in her 20s, be identified only as "Jennifer" for safety reasons. "An advocate has never gotten hurt working with us and we want to make sure that never happens," McCurley says. "The abusers will do anything they can to prevent people from helping the victim." McCurley says that because Jennifer is bilingual, the pair have been able to reach out to traditionally underserved members of the Latino community who might otherwise be unwilling to contact the police. He says that in some cases, abuse survivors will talk with Jennifer over the course of several weeks, building trust before McCurley's brought into the fold. "If you come and see me and you report a crime to me, I have to and will take action," he says. McCurley acknowledges that some survivors want nothing to do with the pair. But that doesn't faze them. "I couldn't be happier doing this," he says, pointing out that many officers grow frustrated and jaded from arresting the same offenders over and over. In the course of his duties, he regularly gets to see abuse survivors successfully break the cycle of violence. "There's a lot of job satisfaction in that," he says. By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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