AUSTIN, Texas –  City and community leaders came together Thursday to recognize efforts to end domestic violence in Austin. City of Austin Mayor Kirk Watson signed a declaration declaring October Domestic Violence Month, marking an important time of the year to uplift the needs, voices and experiences of survivors.

“Domestic violence can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation or economic status,” said Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Sturrup. “Violence and abuse have a disproportionate impact on people from traditionally marginalized communities, where survivors’ voices are often silenced but need to be heard.”

Austin Public Health’s Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) was awarded a Department of Justice grant to standardize procedures across our community to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals. The office has worked alongside Travis County, Austin Police Department and Victim Services, the Stop Abuse for Everyone (SAFE) Alliance and Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA) to help eliminate domestic violence, promote justice for victims, enhance community safety and improve the overall health of our community.

“Since our office was founded just a few years ago, OVP has worked to prevent domestic violence and stop the tragedy of gun deaths, and this proclamation helps bring that work and the stories of survivors to the forefront,” said Office of Violence Prevention Manager Michelle Myles. “We urge our community to come together and embrace the ways we can heal from violence and hold much-needed space for survivors.”

Survivors Encouraged to Share Their Stories in OVP Survey

Did you know:

• In America, 60% of mass shooting events between 2014 and 2019 were either domestic violence attacks or perpetrated by those with a history of domestic violence
• When an abuser has access to a gun it increases the risk of them killing their victim by 1000%.
• Every minute, 32 people experience intimate partner violence in the U.S.

The City of Austin is asking for the community’s help in working to change these statistics. 

OVP is working on a survey project funded by the Department of Justice to help create community-wide procedures to ensure that people who have been ordered by the court to give up their firearms in family violence and Protective Order cases do so, helping to ensure the safety of all parties involved. 

The survey will be used to gather information from survivors of domestic abuse who have called law enforcement for a domestic violence incident against their partner or from survivors of domestic abuse who have applied for a Protective Order. The goal is to better understand if the Austin and Travis County criminal justice systems met their needs in addressing their situation. 

Whether you were harmed, threatened or aware that a gun was present during a domestic violence incident, your story matters. Your input can help keep you and our community safe by shaping how our city responds to and prevents violence.

Take the survey or share it to help prevent intimate partner gun violence in our community. All responses are confidential and will be kept private. 

If you are currently experiencing violence or are in a crisis, please call 512-267- SAFE (7233).