HOUSTON – October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Houston Police Department is amplifying its efforts to combat this critical issue through its Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART).
The program, launched in 2020, pairs specially trained officers with social workers to respond directly to high-risk cases, such as aggravated assault and strangulation. HPD is also providing immediate, on-scene assistance, including domestic violence forensic exams and resources for legal and financial aid.
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Julie Pleasant, Police Administrator over HPD’s Victim Services Division, shared why the DART program holds special significance during this time.
“Love shouldn’t hurt,” she said.
Pleasant emphasized that domestic violence was traditionally seen as a private matter, hidden behind closed doors, but this mindset needs to change.
“For decades, domestic violence was always seen as, well, that’s private. It happens in the house. That’s nobody’s business,” she said.
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DART is uniquely equipped to meet the urgent needs of victims, thanks to forensic nurses who perform domestic violence forensic exams at the scene. This innovation eliminates the need for victims to seek care at hospitals, making it easier for them to begin the process of healing and justice.
“The unique thing about DART is they work with forensic nurses so they can have a domestic violence forensic exam on scene that is free to them,” Pleasant explained. “There’s not a lot of that, right? You have to go to the emergency room. You have to load up children. You have to sit there. It’s a next-level training.”
HPD’s DART team has responded to nearly 4,800 domestic violence incidents this year, with 150 forensic exams performed free of charge. In addition to medical support, the team ensures that survivors have access to legal and financial resources through partnerships with community organizations.
“And when they do that, we immediately resource and referral to all of our community partners to legal partners to financial assistance to the Attorney General’s office for aid,” Pleasant added. “Maybe help them get out of the situation and move.”
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DART’s work has saved lives, Pleasant said, pointing to the program’s success in helping survivors escape potentially deadly situations.
“We have assessed 1,100 high-risk survivors. Of those, 115 have received shelter, and that is in its truest form. If not for the shelter, they could be homicide statistics, right? Because they had to leave that situation to survive.”
The program serves a diverse range of survivors, including men, who often face unique challenges in seeking help.
“Men can be—anyone can be a victim of domestic violence,” Pleasant explained. “Men don’t tend to outcry as much. They feel as though their manhood or machismo is being questioned.”
DART is addressing this issue by incorporating male victim advocates and forensic nurses to provide tailored support.
In addition to addressing gender, the DART team also focuses on providing culturally and religiously sensitive care, ensuring that each victim is connected to services that reflect their community.
“The only way to really do that is to have them supported by people that look like them, that talk like them, that speak their language, that have religion like them, that pray like them, and that heal like them,” Pleasant said.
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As Domestic Violence Awareness Month continues, the Houston Police Department and its partners remain committed to ensuring that every survivor feels understood, supported, and empowered to escape abusive situations and begin their healing journey.