RCMP fight domestic violence

The province's Attorney General was in Kelowna Thursday to announce the creation of a new integrated Domestic Violence Unit.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Suzanne Anton, announces formation of an Integrated Domestic Violence Unit in Kelowna.

The unit, the first of its kind in the Okanagan, will see members of the RCMP, Elizabeth Fry Society and Ministry of Children and Family Development work together on cases involving domestic violence.

"Domestic Violence Units are a lifeline to vulnerable women and children who face violence at home. Kelowna's new unit brings together an integrated unit of police, victim and services and child protective workers," says Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Suzanne Anton.

"They take on the highest risk cases, supporting victims and holding offenders accountable."

The unit was made possible through separate grants totalling $90,000 from civil forfeiture grants.

"Of all the things we can do to help families, Domestic Violence Units are one of the most hands-on and are extremely helpful to families," says Anton.

"They will choose the serious ones and the team will go out and meet the family, they will help the victims, they will hep the children, they will help the family."

Anton says it is the province's goal that when people are victims of domestic violence - they will have help.

She says in the past victims have always had police help, but with the combined team, victims will now have access to other agencies faster than before.

The Domestic Violence Unit will consist of two RCMP members along with a worker from the Elizabeth Fry Society and someone from the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

"That's their job, to help connect people to social services, to find them help and offer them reassurance they have someone looking out for them."