Crime & Safety

What Domestic Violence Looks Like in San Diego

More than 160,000 reports of domestic violence come in each year statewide, but where does San Diego fit in?

Domestic violence has been making headlines recently, from the national level with singers Rihanna and Chris Brown, to the state level with Gov. Jerry Brown proclaiming Oct. 10 a statewide day of awareness, to the local level where a woman has been accused of shooting her ex-boyfriend nine times.

Law enforcement agencies across California deal with more than 160,000 reports of domestic violence each year, according to Brown's proclamation.

"Despite the staggering number of cases, this category of crime is mostly invisible, masked by the privacy of the home and the close relationships that exist between abusers and their victims. For this reason, public awareness is an important part of our response to domestic violence," the proclamation reads.

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Where does San Diego County fit in with the statewide issue?

Here is a look at some of the numbers, according to information provided by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office:

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Number of domestic violence incidents reported to law enforcement in 2011

  • Total: 15,823
  • 7,137 were reported to the San Diego Police Department

Domestic violence cases filed in court

  • San Diego County District Attorney's Office: 2,434 (felonies—767; misdemeanors—1,665)
  • San Diego City Attorney's Offce: 990

Domestic violence homicides

  • In 2011, 17 people were allegedly killed by a current of former partner.
  • Another seven people were allegedly killed related to a domestic violence incident (such as the child of a woman allegedly killed by her boyfriend).
  • In 2010, 12 people were allegedly killed by current or former partners, and another two were allegedly killed related to a domestic violence incident.

Drugs and domestic violence

  • Between 2006 and 2011, 40 percent of domestic violence perpetrators were known to have a history of methamphetamine use.

Seeking help

  • 6,000 people called the county's domestic violence hotline looking for shelter between July 2010 and 2011.

Resources

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