Rockland Raises Awareness of Domestic Violence Throughout October

Domestic violence affects one in four women during their lifetime and Rockland County leaders are determined to raise awareness of the problem through a series of events in October, which is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef, Center for Safety & Change Executive Director Carolyn Fish and District Attorney Thomas Zugibe will hold a press conference on Monday to talk about the educational programs and activities taking place in Rockland. 

October 16th is “Wear Purple Day.”  Community members are asked to wear purple, the color of Domestic Violence Awareness. The county office building in New City and Blue Hill Plaza building in Pearl River will be lit with purple lights. Businesses and community organizations will provide materials about Domestic Violence.

On October 24, Rockland Community College (RCC) will host “Walk with me,” a silent student procession at 12 p.m.

On October 30, a training session on “Human Trafficking and the 2014 Super Bowl: What We Need to Know in Rockland County” is being offered for first responders, the hotel and motel industry and the general public. The program will take place in Good Samaritan Hospital’s auditorium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Two training sessions have already been held to raise awareness of the signs of minor sex trafficking. 

The 2014 Super Bowl, which is being held in nearby Bergen County, NJ, concerns local officials because of reports that major sporting events result in increased sex trafficking including domestic minor sex trafficking with victims averaging 14 years old. 

The STOP F.E.A.R. Coalition, which works to end intimate partner violence, will hold its 16th annual conference and training session on November 1st at 8:30 a.m. at RCC.  The program “Preparing for National Security Events: A Perspective on Human Trafficking for Investigators and Front Line Officers” is geared towards criminal justice professionals. 

The keynote speakers are Sgt. Chris Bray from the Phoenix Police Department, an expert on child trafficking, and Eric Pauley from the FBI’s “Innocence Lost Project”, an expert on investigating all matters involving sexual exploitation of children. Trafficking for investigators and front line officers. The four-hour session will be held in the Ellipse Room of RCC’s Technology Center.

More information can be found at www.centerforsafetyandchange.org.