History of the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council

HISTORY

As part of the research for its report on Domestic Violence, the 2000 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury (Grand Jury) reviewed the activities of the Monterey County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DVCC). In addition to information pertinent to the Domestic Violence report, issues of the DVCC's budget, staffing, and membership were raised that merited a separate report.

The Domestic Violence Coordinating Council was established in 1996 by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. The purpose of the Council is as follows:

• To improve coordination between agencies, departments, and the courts for the benefit of victims of domestic violence and abuse
• To promote effective prevention, intervention, and treatment techniques which will be developed based upon research and data collection
• To improve the response to domestic violence and abuse so as to reduce the incidents thereof
• The Council may, if necessary, establish procedures, conduct reviews, develop policies, and take all other actions necessary to further the board objectives of responsiveness to domestic violence and related issues, subject to approval of the Board of Supervisors

BACKGROUND

In 1994, John Phillips, a Monterey County Superior Court Judge, formed a Monterey County Domestic Violence Task Force. Its charge was to develop coordinated effort to deal with the scope and impact of domestic violence at every level of law enforcement and within the community-at-large. In 1996, Dennis Bates, an Interim Coordinator, was hired to work with public and private agencies to facilitate the development of a fully functioning program.

On August 27, 1996, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors (BOS) adopted Resolution No. 96-357 establishing the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. Membership was set at 17 members representing the legal and law enforcement communities, social services and related not-for-profit resource agencies, the medical community, and five BOS at-large appointees. In April 1998, the BOS amended the earlier resolution to allow for designated alternates to serve as voting representatives on the DVCC. This amendment applied to all but the at-large appointees.

Additional historical information on the DVCC can be found in the 1996 Grand Jury's comprehensive Mid-Year Final Report on "Domestic Violence in Monterey County," issued on July 22, 1996, and in a supplementary domestic violence report issued in the Final Report of December 1996. In addition, the 1997 Grand Jury references the DVCC in its Findings and Recommendations.