Utah leaders begin rollout of new domestic violence prevention tool
Jun 28, 2023, 1:01 PM | Updated: 1:04 pm
OREM, UTAH –– State and local leaders took the next step in responding to and preventing domestic violence and assault in Utah.
On Wednesday morning, leaders announced the rollout of the statewide lethality assessment portal along with around-the-clock case support from the Statewide Information and Analysis Center.
“We all play a role in stopping violence in any role – in any position that we’re in,” said Jen Campbell, Executive Director of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition.
After months of dedicated work to increase accountability among law enforcement, the lethality assessment becomes mandatory for all law enforcement in the state on Saturday.
S.B. 117, which passed during the legislative session, outlines the lethality assessment to mandate data collection and analysis at the Statewide Information and Analysis Center. The bill brings relevant information regarding offenders available on the scene to law enforcement.
It also allows running a background check with all other agencies to make sure there are no connecting loopholes of questionable and or violent behavior as well as run-ins with the law.
The Department of Public Safety said the process allows the analyst to review the questionnaire.
“You provide more information. You connect some dots, and maybe, maybe it is a bigger deal than it appears on the surface, and there are different decisions that law enforcement would make,” said Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson.
"You provide more information. You connect some dots, and maybe, maybe it is a bigger deal than it appears on the surface and there are different decisions that law enforcement would make.” – @DeidreHenderson
Live at noon hearing from state & local leaders. pic.twitter.com/dFhJ7jPYw6
— Karah Brackin (@kbontv) June 28, 2023
In May, the lethality assessment was opened as a pilot platform.
The Department of Public Safety said 58 agencies participated in the pilot. Of those participating agencies, 206 assessments were completed. Of those 206, they said approximately 128 revealed a victim being in a potentially lethal incident.
With this tool being employed, the state takes another step in seeing that survivors get the resources they need to be empowered in their lives moving forward.
The next step is to include a mobile app so that every officer will have the ability to use their phone or device to click on it and fill it out. Officers will also have the option to do the assessment offline once the app launches. The app is slated for August.
If you or someone you know is going through abuse, help is available.
- The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465).
- Resources are also available online at the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition website.
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah’s statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
