| Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced $1,169,840 in grant funding to support the STOP Violence Against Women Grant Program for 28 projects statewide.
Calhoun's Family Crisis Intervention Center (Region V) received
$21,451 for operation, known locally as DART.
These funds provide for the enhancement and the continuation of the Calhoun County STOP Team to improve the criminal justice system's response to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence.
The core team includes the Calhoun County Prosecutor's Office, the Family Crisis Intervention Center, and the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department.
Lori Fleagle with the Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) Fleagle says the local program was established in 1996 as a pilot program for the State of West Virginia, now in the 20th year helping victims of domestic violence.
During the past year the agency received 292 calls for assistance, with over 50 protective orders being filed.
Domestic violence is likely the most frequently committed crime in Calhoun and most West Virginia counties.
"Only one-fourth of domestic violence cases are reported," said Fleagle.
Because of the social stigma and privacy laws, domestic violence incidents often remain hidden from the public.
One person dies every 13 days in West Virginia in a domestic violence related death.
A recent WV study shows that women in the Mountain State are more likely to be victims of violent-related homicide, while the men who commit the violent acts are more likely to kill themselves afterward. The state ranks near the top in the nation when it comes to the number of domestic violence deaths, per capita for the population.
Fleagle expressed thanks to core supporters of the DART program over the years.
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