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WHEREAS, domestic violence
remains one of the most pervasive crimes in the United States, in that one in
every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime; an
estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate
partner each year; 85 percent of domestic violence victims are women; most
cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police; intimate partner
violence made up 20 percent of all non-fatal violent crime experienced by
women; almost one-third of female homicide victims that are reported in police
records are killed by an intimate partner; and approximately one-half of the
orders obtained by women against intimate partners who physically assaulted
them were violated; and WHEREAS, rape and sexual
assault continue to be pervasive crimes that are perpetually under-reported and
under-prosecuted in that approximately 2.3 million people each year are raped
and/or physically assaulted by a current or former partner; nearly one in five
women report that they have been victims of rape; nearly two-thirds of all
rapes are committed by someone known to the victim; approximately 60 percent of
rapes committed are not reported to the police; one of every four reported
rapes leads to an arrest; one of every four arrests leads to a felony
conviction and incarceration; and WHEREAS, in 2012 the
Department of Justice announced revisions to the Uniform Crime Report’s (UCR)
definition of rape; the revised definition is likely to result in a more
comprehensive statistical reporting of rape; the UCR will be more inclusive of
the scope and volume of these crimes; and the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s
supports this revised definition and the effort to include all rapes in the
statistical reporting of this crime; and
WHEREAS, the economic impact
of these crimes to society and to individuals is tremendous, in that the cost
of intimate partner violence annually exceeds $5.8 billion, including $4.1
billion in direct health care expenses; and victims of sexual assault are three
times more likely to suffer from depression, six times more likely to suffer
from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol, 26
times more likely to abuse drugs, and
four times more likely to contemplate suicide; and WHEREAS, additional
resources are needed to address these crimes in that 14 percent of all unsolved
homicides and 18 percent of unsolved rapes contained evidence that was not
submitted by law enforcement agencies to crime labs for analysis; only four out of 10 law enforcement agencies have
a computerized system for tracking forensic evidence either in their inventory
or after it is sent to the crime lab; and policies and practices for evidence
retention vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; and WHEREAS, national studies
have shown that cases in which a rape kit was collected and tested are more
likely to result in prosecution and conviction; and WHEREAS, according to recent
studies there is still an estimated 180,000 to 400,000 untested rape kits in
the United States; and WHEREAS, there are steps
that law enforcement agencies, forensic laboratories and prosecutors can take
to improve the use of forensic evidence, including increased training for law
enforcement on the benefits and use of forensic evidence and guidelines for
prioritizing cases for analysis; development of protocols to ensure timely
submission of evidence to the lab; and standardized policies for evidence
retention; and WHEREAS, training law
enforcement on topics related to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault will
provide all officers with the skills necessary to appropriately respond to and
process evidence from these crimes; and WHEREAS, jurisdictions that
have introduced pro-active protocols and training, and timely testing of
forensic evidence, have experienced an increase in the number of cases reported
to law enforcement, and an increase in prosecutions; and WHEREAS, the Violence Against
Women Act (VAWA), enacted in 1994, recognizes the insidious and pervasive
nature of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and
supports comprehensive, effective and cost saving responses to these crimes;
VAWA programs, administered by the Departments of Justice and Health and Human
Services, give law enforcement, prosecutors and judges the tools needed to hold
offenders accountable and keep communities safe while supporting victims; and
recertification of the Act is currently being debated; and WHEREAS, legislation passed by
the House to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act would roll back
confidentiality protections that enable undocumented women to safely come
forward and report violent crimes; and WHEREAS, the designation of
October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, February as Teen Dating
Violence Awareness Month, and the annual designation of a day in April as Denim
Day, are all important public awareness campaigns that seek to inform the
public and law enforcement about the critical nature of these crimes, the need
for more attention and resources to these cases, and the importance of public
support for the investment of more resources, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of
Mayors supports the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S.
Conference of Mayors supports provisions in the Violence Against Women Act
reauthorization that would provide additional ways for law enforcement to work
with undocumented victims to investigate and prosecute serious crimes and allow
the Department of Homeland Security to draw from a pool of previously authorized
but never used U visas so that law enforcement officers have the tools to work
with victims and bring violent offenders to justice; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of
Mayors encourages cities, counties and states to support the dedication of
resources to DNA testing in Domestic Violence and/or Sexual Assault cases, and
the complete elimination of DNA rape kit backlogs that exist around the nation;
and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of
Mayors supports increased funding for prevention programs and sexual assault
and domestic violence awareness programs; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of
Mayors endorses increasing training opportunities and training requirements for
law enforcement agencies around the country in responding to Domestic Violence
and Sexual Assault cases and processing DNA evidence related to these crimes;
and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors
supports the efforts of states and local government to test every rape kit,
regardless of the age of the case; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of
Mayors supports the designation of October as National Domestic Violence
Awareness Month, February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and the
annual designation of a day in April as Denim Day, as vital aspects of a public
awareness campaign aimed at addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, and
crimes against women. |
RESOLUTION ADOPTED JUNE 2012