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Declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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WHEREAS, the City Council of Saint Paul, Minnesota recognizes that living free from domestic violence is a fundamental human right; and
WHEREAS, domestic violence affects women, children and men of all races, sexual orientations and identities, spiritual beliefs, ages, educational backgrounds and economic conditions; and one out every three females in Minnesota will experience domestic violence in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS, domestic violence involves physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse, intimidation and isolation; and
WHEREAS, domestic violence is a pattern of power and abuse used by a person to control and oppress another; and that all forms and systems of oppression must be eliminated; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, at least twenty-three women and three men in Minnesota were killed by a current or former intimate partner; and more than half were killed with a firearm; and
WHEREAS, at least twelve more Minnesotans who were friends, family, a first responder and an intervening bystander lost their lives during a domestic violence incident; in which two of them were murdered with their mother; and
WHEREAS, at least forty-seven children in Minnesota lost their parent in this past year due to domestic violence; in which thirteen of them were present at the time of the murder; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul - from being home to the very first domestic violence shelter in the nation, groundbreaking culturally specific programming, and the birthplace of the national Blueprint for Safety which focuses on victim safety and offenders accountability with opportunities for change, to the creation of Bridges to Safety a collaboratively run victim service center, and an array of multi-disciplined models which include preventing the use of firearms in domestic crimes and throughout our community, a Mental Health Services Delivery Model to better protect and serve victims experiencing mental health challenges, and a Domestic Homicide Prevention Team to reduce repeat offences and imminent harm to victims - is recognized as a national leader in ensuring all victims and their children are safe and perpetrators of domestic violence are held accountable for their violence is recognized as a national leader in ensuring all victims and their children are safe and perpetrators of domestic violence are held accountable for their violence; and
WHEREAS, we as a community, from our first responders, community-based domestic violence programs, justice system workers, medical providers, educators, government systems, faith communities, businesses and community leaders and members, pay tribute to the lives and the courage of the victims whose lives we value and will continue to serve, and the life changing impact we have found in working together to end domestic violence; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council declares October 2024 to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month.