CULLMAN, Ala. – As it usually does each September, the City of Cullman has proclaimed October Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the city. However, this year at the proclamation signing by Mayor Woody Jacobs, many of Cullman’s leaders and official organizations joined in the fight against domestic violence in the area.
Victim Services of Cullman (VSOC) was on-hand to accept the proclamation, with Director Jessica Atchley noting the importance of the declaration. VSOC created a Domestic Violence Taskforce, a group of individuals and teams from local organizations and agencies including Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker, Judge Chad Floyd, Cullman Police Department, Cullman County Sheriff’s Office, local attorney and VSOC Board Member Annette Parker, the Department of Human Resources, Cullman EMS and Cullman Municipal Court.
“We want to show a collaborative effort with how prevalent it is in our area. According to the last statistics published, Cullman is actually 11th in the state for domestic violence,” Atchley shared. “We really want to tell the (residents) of Cullman, ‘Hey, everybody’s here for you.’”
Each piece of the task force plays an integral role in the spotting and decrease of domestic violence, with each arm implementing measures and procedures for suspicions, accusations, arrests and court proceedings resulting from domestic violence.
The task force covers most areas needed by victims looking to escape dangerous situations: law enforcement in the event of escalation, court staff and attorneys to assist with legal situations and DHR to ensure the safety and well-being of all parties involved, including children.
Victim Services of Cullman is located at 310 Third Ave. NE. and in addition to its immediate and transitional shelter, the local resource offers a wide panel of counseling options for survivors of any level of domestic violence, including parenting classes to help rebuild parenting relationships and counseling sessions for children who have been witnesses to or victims of domestic violence themselves. Court Advocates and supports are also available through VSOC.
Contact the administrative office at 256-775-2600 or the 24-hour crisis line at 256-734-6100.
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