This is your worst nightmare. You have been “abused” In the real world – it is torture!
You are a young mother with two small children and you are living that nightmare! Your husband has repeatedly assaulted you. And this time he managed to stab you. Last time, it was ONLY a brick that came down on the side of your head.
YOU CANNOT CALL FOR HELP!!! WHY ARE YOU SO SCARED TO DIAL 911?? Reality is – you know you WILL BE evicted from your home for calling the police for help – once again.
WHY – you might ask? Your town council has just passed a “Disorderly Behavior and Nuisance Ordinance.” And rather than getting immediate help from law enforcement, your landlord can evict you under these “Nuisance Laws.” If you’ve called the police “too many times,” they can decide “disorderly behavior” took place and not bother to respond.
City after city has now enacted these laws which punish women – all victims of domestic violence – for reaching out to law enforcement in fear for their lives. Women, victims of the abuse, are the ones still being “punished.” Some would venture to say –
“just another form of domestic violence.”
One in every four (4) women in this country will experience “domestic violence”. Police and the courts – pretty much everyone – casually uses the term “domestic violence,” because we all know “domestic violence” doesn’t hurt nearly as much as real “violence!”
And the eviction? This Ordinance will give the landlord the reason he needs to get rid of tenants who are constantly fighting and constantly getting the police to interfere. In many cases this will be all that he needs.
Can women sustain more punishment? One might even casually ask – what happened to the abuser? And in this story as well as so many others…nothing.
Sources:
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
“Victims’ Dilemma: 911 Calls Can Bring Eviction.” New York Times, 8/16/13
9/21/13
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You’re inferring that a city ordinance means the police are further abusing domestic violence victims and that is simply untrue. Neither the police nor the city are the aggressors in this instance. Let’s please leave the blame on the abuser, who is not always a male by the way.
It’s unfortunate that people are sometimes evicted due to excessive nuisance calls, but I hardly think you can say it’s the fault of the police.