A typical victim of domestic violence living in Commerce City must travel over 25 miles to get to University Hospital for medical treatment and spend at least 36 minutes telling their story.
She will then have to go to the Adams County courthouse to begin a lengthy process for a protection order, visits to the Department of Human Services and Colorado Legal Services, and grueling interviews with police and prosecutors.
In total, a victim of domestic violence in Commerce City must travel 172 miles (276 kilometers) to access basic services. By car, that could take 250 minutes. By bus, it could take 22 hours, Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason told the Westminster City Council on Tuesday.
This, says Mason, “does not include the number of hours she spent at each location filling out forms, describing her experiences, asking and answering questions, waiting in lines, or obtaining necessary items and documents.”
In his plea for the establishment of a comprehensive Family Justice Center for the residents of Adams and Broomfield counties, Mason described the massive obstacles that victims of domestic violence sometimes face in Adams County.
Mason said Monday he is laying the groundwork for the center and will return at some point to ask for funds to complete the facility.
Porchlight is the inspiration
He said the center will be modeled after the existing Family Justice Center currently operated by PorchLight in Lakewood.
The FJC in Lakewood provides comprehensive legal, emotional and critical support services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, vulnerable person abuse, elder abuse and human trafficking, according to a city administration report to council.
Key government agencies, law enforcement, community, social and legal services, and prosecutors are on-site at the PorchLight facility to help victims and survivors get help, the report said.
Mason said he wants to do the same at the Adams/Broomfield location.
“We want it to be a central point of contact for victims of domestic violence,” Mason said.
The proposed FJC would help combat the “scourge of domestic violence” in Adams County, he said. Domestic violence cases reached new highs during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain high.
As evidence, Mason pointed to a 2023 annual report from the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, which found that Adams recorded 17 domestic violence-related deaths in 2022. Only El Paso County recorded more deaths, with 20.
The proposed FJC in Adams County would provide victims of domestic violence with critical services more quickly and efficiently before it is too late.
“…We don’t need to see her on the autopsy table,” Mason said.
A permanent location for the Adams/Broomfield FJC has not yet been found, he said, adding that a temporary location will be used for at least a year to get operations up and running.
PorchLight is funded through a variety of means, including contributions from city and county partners, the staff report said. In the police department’s proposed 2025 budget, the City of Westminster’s commitment to PorchLight is $29,776.27, the report said.
Mason said a similar funding plan is needed for the Adams/Broomfield FJC. Councilors said they are willing to provide Westminster dollars for the FJC.
“This effort saves lives and saves money,” said City Councilor Claire Carmelia. “These preventive measures help our economy.”
