POUGHKEEPSIE, — Dutchess County officials and advocates are urging state lawmakers to pass a domestic violence bill designed to better protect victims across New York.  The proposed legislation would require law enforcement agencies statewide to use the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP), an 11-question survey that helps police identify domestic violence cases at high risk for homicide. Dutchess County, among the first in the state to adopt LAP, credits the protocol with reducing domestic violence incidents locally. The tool is also used in Broome and Westchester counties and five other states.

State Senator Rob Rolison, R-Poughkeepsie, is co-sponsoring the bill, which has passed the state Senate twice with unanimous support but remains stalled in the Assembly. Rolison said the measure has multiple sponsors in the Assembly and questioned the delay.  “There is no common-sense reason that the Assembly has not passed this and had it signed by the governor,” Rolison said.

Dutchess County Sheriff Kirk Imperati, whose office has a dedicated Domestic Violence Unit, also called on Albany lawmakers to act. “It’s perplexing as to why they are holding it up because it’s a very common-sense law. It’s one that protects victims and families, and it needs to be passed statewide,” Imperati said. He added that he plans to lobby for the bill’s passage.

In April, the Dutchess County Legislature sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie urging the expansion of LAP statewide. Lawmakers wrote that the protocol ensures high-risk victims are immediately connected with trained advocates at the scene, which can lead to improved outcomes, increased offender accountability and greater safety for victims and the community.

Family Services Inc. CEO Leah Feldman was involved in implementing the LAP in Dutchess County in 2014 and says it is a “life-saving program that works in three key ways.”  Feldman explained the three-prong benefits of the LAP as being:

  1. It helps victims understand the level of risk of additional domestic violence incidents if their situation does not change.
  2. The LAP provides an immediate bridge to victim services by having law enforcement help victims immediately connect with domestic violence advocates, which has proven to be life-saving in many instances.
  3. It aids in the coordination of law enforcement, victim advocates, prosecutors, the court system, the hospitals, and other agencies that play a role in preventing further incidents of domestic violence.

The LAP used by all law enforcement agencies in Dutchess County:

Lethality Assessment questionnaire used in Dutchess County.

The Dutchess County Legislature is scheduled to debate legislation to expand the LAP this month.



Original article
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