Issue Position: Domestic Violence

Issue Position

"It should not take a shameful and public act of DV to force us to confront this serious issue. People are victimized by DV crimes daily and we can no longer afford to ignore them or make excuses. Elected officials must lead by example."

Whether it is condemning the insidious crime of domestic violence, speaking out for victims and families who are terrorized by batterers or supporting funding for expanded services to combat this public health issue, no one is more passionate about this issue than José Peralta.

In December Assemblyman Peralta joined Councilmember Julissa Ferreras, and community leaders in a march against domestic violence. At the march, José announced the creation of the New York State Assembly Task Force to address this crime that stretches across socio economic, financial, and ethnic and gender groups. The task force will serve as a centralized entity to direct research, advocacy efforts, and analysis existing Domestic Violence legislation. The overriding goal of the Task Force is to highlight this growing public health issues and provide victims, organizations and communities the resources they need to deal with Domestic Violence.

José has also worked closely with the Queens District Attorney and fellow elected officials on various Domestic Violence initiatives including protecting survivors, advocating for safe and affordable shelter for victims, promoting the enforcement of Domestic Violence laws and prosecution of abusers and the ongoing effort to raise awareness about this issue.

Putting an End to Domestic Violence

According to a new NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) report, the rate of homicides related to Domestic Violence increased by 7.3% in New York State from 2007 to 2008. In New York City, the domestic homicide rate increased by 2.7% during the same time. In Queens, domestic violence murders shot up an astounding 18% in the past year. This is a crisis that has to stop.

In the Senate, José Peralta will be a staunch advocate for women, children and families and will fight for tougher penalties against domestic violence offenders and stronger protections for victims. To punish offenders, José will support increased jail time and mandate the registration of convicted repeat domestic violence predators.

To protect victims, José will support legislation to require insurance companies to give victims the option of registering alternative contact information needed to receive bills and claims so that their abuser cannot find them. He will also sponsor legislation allowing victims to sue their abusers in Civil Court, prohibit job and housing discrimination, and require employers to give victims of domestic violence time off from work to get help.

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