Item Description:
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Declaring October 2025, to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Hennepin County - offered by Commissioners Conley and Fernando
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WHEREAS, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month was first declared in 1989 to acknowledge the more than 12 million adults annually who experience domestic and intimate partner violence in the United States; and
WHEREAS, domestic violence encompasses various forms of abuse within the home, workplace, places of worship, and broader community, including physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, technological, and/or religious actions or threats of actions aimed at gaining or maintaining control or power over someone. Intimate partner violence is a form of domestic violence that occurs within an intimate partner relationship; and
WHEREAS, domestic abuse is an act or crime defined by the relationship or living arrangements between victim and abuser. That includes individuals in intimate partner relationships, family members, or roommates. Domestic abuse, per Minnesota law, includes violent acts of physical harm or injury as well as the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, or assault; and
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 41% of women, 26% of men, and 54% of transgender and nonbinary people have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and up to 10 million children are exposed to domestic violence each year; and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County is committed to combating domestic violence and creating a system and community in which victims and survivors are empowered to seek justice and are supported in their healing journey; and
WHEREAS, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, there were more than 19,000 domestic violence incidents in the state in 2024. About one-third of them occurred in Hennepin County, representing nearly 7,200 victims and 6 homicides; and
WHEREAS, it is important to support domestic violence prevention efforts and transformative services to achieve a community where all people are healthy, valued, and thrive. Doing that effectively requires leveraging all county and community resources and partnerships and creating opportunities for new collaborations; and
WHEREAS, the tragic impact of domestic violence is reflected in the lives lost, reminding us of the urgency to prevent such devasting outcomes.
Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners hereby declares October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month; recognizing that the complexity of the systems that victims and survivors navigate compromise their safety and healing; and reaffirming the Board of Commissioners’ commitment to honoring the lives of victims and the recovery, healing, and wellbeing of survivors.
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval