Safelight, law enforcement bring the Lethality Assessment Program to Henderson County - BlueRidgeNow.com
Safelight, a nonprofit agency that provides support for survivors of interpersonal violence, sexual assault and child abuse, has partnered with local law enforcement to bring the Lethality Assessment Program to Henderson County.
“We are working to link survivors to our supportive resources even faster with our local law enforcement including Fletcher Police Department, Hendersonville Police Department, Laurel Park Police Department, and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, to bring the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) through the North Carolina Department of Justice and into Henderson County in 2022,” Safelight’s Executive Director Lauren Wilkie said.
LAP is currently in revamp, and training will begin in the spring, according to Wilkie.
The Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) is an evidenced-based model supported by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide a standard of practice to reduce intimate partner homicide, increase victim safety and enhance collaboration in the community, Wilkie explained.
“The purpose is to save lives by connecting victims to lifesaving community-based services, hold abusers accountable and create awareness of lethality factors for victims in our community,” she continued. “LAP is currently used in nearly 900 law enforcement agencies, over 200 domestic violence programs and in 39 states.”
The first responding law enforcement officer immediately connects the victim to the local domestic violence service provider, such as Safelight, for emergency safety planning and enhanced service provision. This helps Safelight to respond, assess and connect survivors to advocates with resources for programs and services, Wilkie added.
"We want to share a special thank you to St. James Episcopal Church," Wilkie said. “St. James awarded us with a grant that will, in addition to supporting Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) training, also be providing us the funds to provide law enforcement with stuffed black bears to keep in their vehicles to give to children who have experienced or witnessed domestic/interpersonal violence or abuse. Thank you also to Dancing Bear Toys and Sherman’s Sports who have allowed us to purchase stuffed black bears through them at cost.”
Safelight was founded in 1984 and has helped more than 40,000 survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse in Henderson County. For more information, go to www.safelightfamily.org.
source: https://www.blueridgenow.com/story/news/2021/12/10/law-enforcement-lethality-assessment-program-henderson-county-nc/6437107001/
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