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Domestic abuse survivors will have a new ally in San Mateo County after supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to create a specialized team to provide urgent, coordinated interventions to high-risk domestic violence survivors.
The Multidisciplinary High Risk Domestic Violence Case Team will be comprised of survivor advocates, health care professionals, legal aid professionals, and law enforcement officers.
“The Multidisciplinary High-Risk Case Team will provide immediate, specialized care and offer survivors of domestic violence the coordinated support they need to find safety and thrive,” said Supervisor Noelia Corzo, who co-sponsored the resolution.
The official stressed that this equipment will literally save lives.
A stark reality prompted the team's formation: In 2023, five people were killed in San Mateo County as a result of domestic violence, while officials attributed two suicides to domestic violence, according to a report from the San Mateo County Domestic Violence Council.
In 2024, all five homicides in the city of San Mateo were domestic violence incidents.
"Unfortunately, many high-risk domestic violence cases also involve firearms," explained Supervisor Dave Pine, one of the bill's sponsors. "I am hopeful that the MDT will allow for early identification of perpetrators who also have access to firearms and prevent some volatile and violent situations."
When people are prohibited from possessing firearms due to a restraining order, San Mateo County's Gun Violence Prevention Program can intervene and remove the firearms, for example, the county said in a statement.
The team will be responsible for developing protocols and procedures for managing high-risk cases. They will also monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, use data to adjust response and improve outcomes, and identify service gaps.
High-risk cases often require immediate and targeted attention, which can be difficult to coordinate quickly across different agencies and organisations. The Multidisciplinary Domestic Violence High-Risk Case Team will be better positioned to offer survivors timely and comprehensive support.
"Research has shown that domestic violence homicides committed by intimate partners are often predictable," said Elisa Kuhl, director of the District Attorney's victim services program. "And if they are predictable, they are preventable."
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