Article: Editorial: Stop the violence

Domestic violence accounted for two murders in Greensboro in May and a nonfatal shooting last week. Incidents like these demand better efforts to protect abuse victims and stop perpetrators before it’s too late.

The murdered women were Tereece Roseboro and Christina Maxa-Gross.

Roseboro’s boyfriend, Dwayne E. Brown, was charged with her murder. He has one prior conviction for assault on a female.

Maxa-Gross was shot to death in her home by Noah M. Adams, who then killed himself. Adams had pending charges of assault and assault by strangulation from an altercation with Maxa-Gross in February.

Teresa Young of Greensboro was shot Tuesday. Her estranged husband, Willie M. Young, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

Greensboro police responded to 6,662 domestic violence calls during the first five months of this year. They come from all parts of the city and make up a heavy and challenging portion of the law enforcement workload.

Officers have to determine what happened and what level of danger exists and take appropriate action — even if the victim doesn’t want to press charges.

“Our policy is a pro-arrest policy,” Assistant Chief Dwight Crotts said last week. “The willingness of the victim to prosecute is not a factor. We don’t accept that at face value.”

Victims, usually women, sometimes refuse to cooperate for a number of reasons, said Susan Wies, director of victim services for Family Service of the Piedmont. Some are afraid and lack confidence in anyone’s ability to protect them. Some are financially dependent on the abuser. Some simply accept the abuse. But the violence often escalates.

There are clear warnings: “Strangulation, the presence of a gun and threats of suicide are huge lethal indicators,” Wies said. People who see those signs should call for help.

Family Service (387-6161) provides counseling, shelter and other assistance for victims. An important strategy is developing a “safe plan.” A victim should work out ahead of time where she’ll go if she has to leave. Planning with a friend or relative is ideal. Making more people aware of a domestic violence situation can increase opportunities for intervention or escape.

Stronger prosecution also is needed. A victim’s refusal to testify should not let an offender off the hook. Physical evidence, neighbors’ testimony, even the victim’s statements at the scene, can support a prosecution.

Also, better efforts should be made to keep offenders away from victims. No-contact orders are hard to enforce unless the victim reports a violation.

Greensboro police are using electronic monitoring on some property crimes offenders as a condition of pretrial release. Crotts said that could be expanded to include some individuals charged with domestic violence crimes. The system would alert police when an offender approached a victim’s home. It’s a good idea.

Wies noted the connection of domestic violence to substance abuse, child abuse, mental health issues, unemployment, homelessness, “all of our main social problems.”

Lives are at risk. Protection must become a high priority.