Mayor Keller’s Domestic Violence Task Force Submits Recommendations

March 30, 2021

Following a process to research, deliberate, and meet with community organizations, Mayor Tim Keller’s Domestic Violence Prevention Task Force has submitted its recommendations to the administration for review. Mayor Tim Keller established the task force through an executive order. The Task Force brings together representatives from local Domestic Violence prevention agencies, CYFD, Bernalillo County, City Council, and key City departments including Police, Family and Community Services, and the Offices of Equity & Inclusion and Civil Rights.

The City is already implementing some of the recommendations, including providing transit vouchers to local domestic violence organizations and training City employees to recognize signs of domestic violence. In December, the City of Albuquerque dedicated $250,000 in CARES funding to provide economic relief to local domestic violence and sexual assault non-profit organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor Tim Keller said, “Domestic violence is an especially disturbing crime that tears at the fabric of our community. It makes survivors feel trapped and unable to access help and resources, often goes unreported or unnoticed, and far too often escalates to murder. The recommendations our team put together not only actively work to identify survivors and offer help but also target the root causes of the issue. We are working to end the abuse and make Albuquerque a safer place for everyone.”

Among the Task Force’s other recommendations: create ordinances for housing relief for domestic violence survivors, including eviction protection; deepen and expand training on identifying domestic violence on calls for Albuquerque Police Department and Albuquerque Fire Rescue Department; publish a City-supported domestic violence online portal that provides information, resources, and best practices; and invest in a uniform way to track domestic violence data through Albuquerque Police Department and other departments to monitor outcomes and allocate resources.

The Mayor’s Office will now work with the City departments to implement those recommendations within the City’s purview. The Task Force will continue to advise the Mayor’s Office on implementation and additional strategies to further the recommendations.

“The end goal of the Task Force was to identify and develop specific, measurable and achievable recommendations of action that the City can take to fill the gaps in addressing domestic violence,” said Torri Jacobus, Chairperson of the task force and head of the Office of Civil Rights. “I’m incredibly thankful for the other committee members for their time and their sincere commitment to helping us address the painful issue that is domestic violence in our community. Thanks to Mayor Keller and other City leaders who heard our recommendations.”

"I applaud our Mayor for seeking fresh ideas from service providers to deal with the huge problem of domestic violence in our city,” said Claudia Medina, task force member and former executive director of Enlace Comunitario. “I am hopeful that the hard work of the task force will provide a path not only to respond to existing victimization but also to prevent future intimate partner violence in our community.”

###