County proclaims Domestic Violence Awareness Month as cases surge

The Thurston Board of County Commissioners officially proclaimed October 2024 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, highlighting the persistent issue and ongoing efforts to combat domestic violence in the community.

The proclamation acknowledged the extensive work done by the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s and the Sheriff’s Office.

So far this year, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has provided advocacy services to over 1108 victims and charged 532 domestic violence cases.

Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s Office has responded to 1364 domestic violence 911 calls.

“Domestic violence does not discriminate and touches all communities regardless of age, race, disability, gender identity, or socioeconomic status,” the proclamation stated. “The impact of domestic violence is wide-ranging, directly affecting individuals, households, and society as a whole.”

Thurston Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Cailen Cecil detailed her team’s efforts, including five prosecutors, three victim advocates, multiple interns, and six support staff.

“Every person we work with is in crisis, but we work together as a team,” Cecil said.

She noted that the office has struggled with chronic staffing shortages, which have led to extensive overtime hours for both prosecutors and victim advocates.

“We want to do more, but we cannot; we are humans; we have to sleep, eat, and take days off,” she shared. “But we do this work because we care and are passionate about these survivors and our communities.”

She also highlighted the increasing workload due to the advent of body-worn camera footage.

“Now, with body-worn camera footage, we have four to six officers on a scene for an hour and a half, which means an entire day’s worth of footage to review to be prepared for trial,” Cecil explained.

Thurston County Sheriff Sanders shared his connection to the issue of domestic violence.

One of his early initiatives was establishing a domestic violence specialty unit within the Sheriff’s Office.

This unit, comprising deputies with specialized training, focuses on providing a more effective response to domestic violence incidents.

Residents are encouraged to seek help from local resources such as the  Family Support Center of South Sound at 360-754-9297, SafePlace 24/7 hotline at 360-754-6300, or the National DV Hotline at 800-799-7233.