POUGHKEEPSIE — The Dutchess County Legislature will consider a resolution this month to expand training for local officials on the Lethality Assessment Program, a tool designed to help determine the risk level for victims of domestic violence.

Legislature Chairwoman Yvette Valdés Smith said the Lethality Assessment Program is an evidence-based method to protect domestic violence victims most at risk of serious harm. The Family & Human Services Committee is scheduled to review the resolution on May 7. If approved, the full Legislature will vote on May 11.

If adopted, the measure would provide biannual training sessions for all elected officials in Dutchess County. While only law enforcement officers administer the LAP in the field, the training aims to educate officials on domestic violence response and help inform policy decisions.

“This resolution will be a critical step toward equipping elected officials with the knowledge needed to recognize evidence-based lethality indicators in domestic violence cases,” said Universal Response to Domestic Violence/STRIVE Coordinator Kaitlin Rodriques. “Post-training, elected officials will have a strengthened understanding of the factors that increase an individual’s risk for homicide and the ability to make more informed decisions that will increase both survivor and community safety.”

Dutchess County, among the first in the state to adopt LAP, credits the protocol with reducing domestic violence incidents in the county. The tool is also used in Broome and Westchester counties, as well as in five other states.    The bill is currently stalled in the Assembly.

The committee meeting is open to the public.  It is held in the Dutchess County Legislature Chambers at 22 Market Street in Poughkeepsie.  The Family & Human Services Committee is scheduled to begin at 5:50 p.m.

The questionnaire used by law enforcement in Dutchess County as part of the LAP:
Lethality Assessment questionnaire used in Dutchess County.


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