By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
The stage of the auditorium at the Everson Museum was bathed in purple light the evening of Oct. 2 as Vera House presented its 30th annual Report to the Community on Domestic and Sexual Violence. This year’s report incorporated performances from the Survivors’ Network, poetry, dance and performance art themed around reclaiming one’s body, mind and freedom.
“Today is my day. I no longer give you access to this beautiful, strong, smart, capable canvas,” Vera House Associate Director and Survivors’ Network member Angela Douglas said in her opening remarks. “It is time for me to choose my own colors.”
“This is not your mama’s Report to the Community,” said Randi Bregman, executive director of Vera House.
Since the agency’s first Report to the Community in 1990, Bregman said, the Syracuse Police Department has handled 321,000 domestic violence calls. Vera House has fielded 110,000 calls in that time.
Bregman said the evolution of the justice system have helped victims of domestic and sexual violence to a point, but stricter laws can also target marginalized communities such as people of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people.
In order to serve the entire community, Vera House is focusing on examining barriers to access for its services, restorative justice and addressing racism and oppression.
“Just as domestic violence and sexual abuse hurt people and force them to do things against their will, so do racism, transphobia and homophobia,” Bregman said.
Bregman urged attendees of the Report to the Community to make a commitment to action by scheduling a presentation with their workplaces on domestic and sexual violence, workplace sexual harassment or elder abuse; joining the Survivors’ Network, Vera House Volunteer Program, Elder Justice Committee, Elder Identity Theft Coalition or Pride Coalition; or participating in the 12 Men Model, White Ribbon Campaign or Raise the Bar program.
Jolie Moran, Vera House’s director of advocacy, said the recent Raise the Bar initiative is aimed at restaurants, bars and other nightlife establishments. Raise the Bar training helps these businesses foster safe environments with the goal of preventing sexual and relationship violence and sexual harassment. The program provides prevention education and bystander intervention training.
“I think it’s one of the cooler things that we’re doing right now and one of the more innovative ways to address the culture change we need for this work, which is so important,” Moran said.
So far, a handful of establishments in downtown Syracuse have gone through the Raise the Bar program: Pastabilities, Funk ‘n Waffles, the Blue Tusk and Kitty Hoynes.
Moran said within a few weeks of going through the training, staff at Pastabilities intervened when a man at the restaurant was harassing a woman. The man was asked to leave.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a superhero,” Moran said of bystander intervention.
Vera House is hoping restaurants and bars in the suburbs will sign up for Raise the Bar as well.
“Everything that we’re doing is not just city-focused,” Moran said. “Our advocates are partnering with police, the [Onondaga County] Sheriff’s Department; we have prevention education in schools throughout the county.”
Domestic and sexual violence in Onondaga County
Vera House’s 30th annual Report to the Community on Domestic and Sexual Violence provides the following local statistics for 2018:
• The Syracuse Police Department answered 10,785 domestic calls in 2018. The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and town and village police departments responded to 6,813 domestic calls. SPD arrested 1,320 domestic violence perpetrators, while OCSO, NYSP and local police arrested 1,737 domestic violence perpetrators and 98 sexual offense perpetrators.
• Onondaga County Family Court issued 1,047 temporary orders of protection and 188 permanent orders of protection. Syracuse City Domestic Violence Court issued approximately 450 orders of protection.
• Vera House’s Advocacy Program served 1,562 victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse.
• Vera House saw 475 participants in its accountability programs in 2018. The Alternatives program is for men who have been abusive in their intimate relationships, Steps is for women who have been abusive and the Domestic Violence Impact Program is a one-time, four-hour course for people who have been charged with a violation-level domestic violence-related offense.
• The Onondaga County Probation Department supervised about 175 registered sex offenders last year.
• In 2018, there was one intimate partner homicide in Onondaga County.
• Vera House’s 24-hour crisis and support hotline answered 5,803 calls in 2018.
• The Vera House Prevention and Education Program reached 19,160 people through more than four dozen schools, organizations and workplaces.
