Since 1978, nearly 200,000 reports of spouse/partner abuse have been received and investigated by the Kentucky Department for Social Services. And who knows how many cases were never reported.

The problem is evident in every corner of the state, but often receives less attention in small towns and rural areas, either because of a lack of resources or minimal communication, or both.

That's why EKU sought and received a $102,282 federal grant from the Violence against Women Grants Office, to deliver a domestic violence training and technical assistance program at 15 sites throughout the Commonwealth. The Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI) at EKU will oversee and manage the entire project, coordinate the efforts of various partners, produce training materials, assist with workshop presentation and facilitation, assist with follow-up technical assistance and gather information to assess the workshops.

Project Director Dr. Kathryn Scarborough, assistant professor of Police Studies at Eastern, said the program is unique for two reasons: its focus on small towns and rural areas and its collaboration between law enforcement, victim advocates, social services, the medical community, various criminal justice system professionals, and other victim service providers.

Collaborative efforts are a vital part of community-oriented policing, said Scarborough.

"Community-oriented policing emphasizes the forming of partnerships through which communities, along with law enforcement, can effect viable solutions for problems that are collectively identified," she said. "With that in mind, we hope we can facilitate the establishment of partnerships in areas where they don't now exist to develop effective solutions."

The program will employ three main strategies:

1. command-level training and follow-up assistance, aimed at increasing adoption by police and sheriff agencies of Kentucky's "Model Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Policy."
2. collaborative workshops that engage not only police officials but also social services, victim services, victims' advocates, various criminal justice system professionals and emergency medical personnel in community-based problem-solving, and
3. follow-up technical assistance visits at each workshop site that are designed according to community needs.

"We want to ensure that all the individuals who deal with victims of domestic violence are aware of the extent and the nature of the problem, the resources available and the significance of the role they play. We want to build stronger partnerships in order to develop effective strategies within and outside of the criminal justice system."

The RCPI's partners in the project are: EKU's Training Resource Center, which works closely with the state Department of Social Services; the EKU College of Allied Health and Nursing; the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training, which provides most of the police training in Kentucky and oversees all of it from its headquarters on Eastern's campus; the Kentucky League of Cities, and its subsidiary, the Kentucky Municipal Risk Management Association.

Starting in August, the training and workshops will be delivered at sites identified by each of the Commonwealth's 15 area development districts. The day-long workshops at each site will be divided into two parts: a morning session only for command-level law enforcement personnel and an afternoon session for other individuals who respond to domestic violence.

Trainers will include faculty members from EKU's Colleges of Law Enforcement and Allied Health and Nursing, as well as outside consultants.

A follow-up phase will include additional meetings to further discuss possible strategies and to identify individuals who'll be responsible for specific courses of action.

For more information about the program, call 606-622-1464 or 606-622-1978.