Southeast Valley cities battle Domestic Violence

"Thousands of domestic violence calls each year keep Southeast Valley police and prosecutors busy helping victims and holding abusers accountable.

Most of the crimes are assaults, threats, criminal damage, disorderly conduct and orders of protection violations but often escalate to more serious injuries and death.

Four lives have been lost to domestic violence in the East Valley this year.

"It touches every part of society," Tempe police Detective David Larson said. "The goal is to keep it from happening over and over."
Many of the culprits are repeat offenders. Two weeks ago, however, the state domestic violence "three strikes" law got stronger.

The law, enacted in 2005, made an offender's third misdemeanor in five years a felony. The law extends the criminal history to seven years. The domestic violence aggravated charge is a Class 5 felony requiring four months in jail for the first offense and eight months thereafter." |Read more|