Welcome to the Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence (OCDV) website. Created to serve as a clearinghouse of information about domestic violence in New York City, this site provides current and comprehensive statistics, information on initiatives and resources for you - victims, families, service providers, researchers, and other members of the community. We know that domestic violence affects all of us.  There are no simple solutions, but we hope that the resources provided here will be of assistance.

This office was created in 2001 when New York City residents voted to make OCDV a permanent part of City government.  To underscore this administration's zero tolerance for domestic violence, we are committed to protecting victims and holding offenders accountable through innovative programming, comprehensive policies, and efficient service delivery.  In addition to developing policies and programs to assist domestic violence victims, OCDV collaborates with 14 City agencies which provide direct domestic violence services.  These City services – crisis counseling, police assistance, public benefits, emergency shelter, and permanent housing – can make the difference between a victim staying in an abusive relationship or leaving the batterer.  Through the City’s ongoing efforts, during the last six years, major domestic violence felony crimes decreased by 17%, and family related homicides decreased by 32% citywide.

The largest program of OCDV is the New York City Family Justice Center Initiative, which has created one-stop service centers for domestic violence victims and their children in various boroughs of New York City.  While visiting these centers victims can receive the following services: civil legal representation, on-site children’s room activities, safety planning, assistance with filing police and probation reports, counseling, meeting with a prosecutor, English as a Second Language classes, self-sufficiency services including resume assistance and job training, specialized services for the elderly and/or disabled, language interpretation, and voluntary spiritual support.  The City’s first Center, in partnership with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, opened in July 2005 and has exceeded all expectations with nearly 1,000 client visits every month.  The New York City Family Justice Center in Brooklyn has become a national model for large urban family justice centers. Due to the success of our first Center in Brooklyn, we opened the City’s second Family Justice Center located in Kew Gardens, Queens in July 2008.  An additional Center for the Bronx is expected to open in 2009.

New York City, with a population of over 8 million of whom 36% are foreign-born, presents unique challenges.  Through a variety of initiatives, we have been able to provide language-specific resources to address domestic violence. Our Language Line program has expanded to all police precincts in the City so that immigrant victims can tell their story to a police officer in their own language through dual handset telephones with immediate interpretation in over 150 languages. Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in identifying victims because they have a regular opportunity to ask their patients about domestic violence, regardless of the reason for the medical visit.  Through Project H.E.A.L. (Health Emergency Assistance Link), victims at all City hospitals can speak to a trained social worker, have their injuries documented, and be connected to additional social and legal assistance.  Additional domestic violence services are listed in our updated 2008 City of New York Resource Directory of Domestic Violence Services that may be downloaded from our web site.

Prevention, especially with young people, is the key to ending the cycle of violence before it harms another generation.  In collaboration with the Department of Youth and Community Development, we launched the New York City Healthy Relationship Training Academy, a peer education program that teaches young people about healthy relationships and how to safely leave unhealthy relationships.  The program also provides training to staff who work with young people to assist them in identifying teenagers affected by violence and help them heal.

Domestic violence has devastating consequences.  We are committed to using all of our City resources to combat it to ensure that New York City residents enjoy their right to live in a home free of violence.

Yolanda Jimenez

August 2008