Dallas Law Enforcement Offices Coming Together To Help Domestic Violence Victims
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Dallas Police Department is trying to get the word out that help is available to those who need it.
DPD is teaming up with the Dallas County Constable's Office and other law enforcement agencies to tackle domestic violence.
They want survivors to know help is available and there are resources, like the relatively unknown portion of the Texas property code section 24a.002. This allows victims to break a lease if you are they are victim of family violence. This includes victims of family violence, certain sex offenses and stalking that have a specific protective order against the abuser.
Those victims will not be forced to pay penalties. They will also be allowed to go back to the apartment to retrieve items they left behind such as medicine, clothes, money, personal identification documents, animals and more.
Officials say sharing these resources is a first step in empowering victims and punishing abusers.
"Recuperating necessities of personal items is an important first step for a victim to regain control of their lives," Justice of the Peace, Sara Martinez said.
CBS 11 News shared court documents revealed a domestic violence incident led to last month's gas explosion at a Dallas apartment complex. Constable, Michael Orozco said that is just one of many domestic violence incidents that could have potentially been avoided if more people knew help was available.
"If they could have had this information maybe they could have broken the lease," Orozco said. "Something like this that's so tragic that affects many others… this is just something we are trying to stop from happening."
Anyone in need of assistance is urged to call the authorities.