ADVOCACY GROUPS ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM ON THE SPIKE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES.

THE NEW REPORT FROM THE ILLINOIS COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEATHS IN ILLINOIS ROSE BY 110% LAST YEAR.

THE COALITION SAYS THERE WERE 94 INCIDENTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT LED TO 120 DEATHS IN 2023.

THAT'S UP FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR WHEN THERE WAS 45 INCIDENTS IN 57 DEATHS.

THE SPIKE HAS ADVOCATES ONCE AGAIN PUSHING FOR THE PASSAGE OF A BILL IN SPRINGFIELD CALLED KAREEN U.S. BILL.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE.

GODMAN OF AUTO EXECUTIVE CLERK OF COURT OPERATIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION.

AND IF ARE NO FARES AT THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY.

AND BUT THE SIDE THE BIGGEST DIRECTOR OF THE LITTLE VILLAGE COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND JOINING US VIA ZOOM, VICKI SMITH, FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CONSULTANT FOR THE ILLINOIS COALITION AGAIN TO TO SOME DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US NOW.

THESE VACANT WANT TO START WITH YOU.

THESE NUMBERS ARE VERY ALARMING.

AS WE KNOW, USUALLY THE ANNUAL REPORT IS OUT IN OCTOBER.

WHY WAS IT SO IMPORTANT TO RELEASE IT EARLY?

I THINK IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT AS SOON AS WE COULD, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SUCH A DRAMATIC SPIKE IN THE NUMBER OF DEATHS ACROSS THE STATE THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, PREVIOUS YEARS, WE'VE SEEN THE NUMBERS GO UP AND DOWN A LITTLE BIT OVER OVER THE MANY YEARS THAT WE'VE DONE THIS REPORT, BUT NEVER SUCH A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN ONE YEAR.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN YOU READ THE REPORT, A LOT OF MOST OF HOMICIDES COMMITTED BY GUNS.

AND SO WE REALLY FEEL LIKE I'M WE NEED TO SPEND SOME TIME THIS SUMMER GOING INTO OCTOBER, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF HOW DANGEROUS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CAN BE AND THAT WE HAVE RESOURCES AND SOLUTIONS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

AND BUT THE SITE, AS I JUST MENTIONED, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, 68% OF THOSE DEATHS WERE CAUSED BY FIREARMS, INCLUDING THE FATAL SHOOTING OF CATALINA GONZALEZ AND HER 15 YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.

THEN YEAH, I LOVE HIS LAST YEAR.

NOW THESE MURDERS TOOK PLACE IN THE LITTLE VILLAGE COMMUNITY.

CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WAS THAT FEELING LIKE IN THE COMMUNITY?

WHAT HAS BEEN THE COMMUNITY REACTION?

SO GETTING ON THE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FOR OFFICE AND WHAT HAPPENED.

RAN DOWN TO THE HOUSE AND WE SO, YOU KNOW, THE RED TAPE.

WE QUESTION.

WHERE THE WORK THAT WE FEEL RIGHT OUR ADVOCACY GROUP LESS VIOLENT STARTED IN 2022.

WHEN THEY FOUND THE BODY.

SO CUSTOM NIKON, WHAT THE MANA?

20 YEARS OLD.

AND THEN 2 WEEKS LATER, WE FIND SUCH A CALM.

SO FROM THERE WE WHEN ASKING THE STATE FOR FROM A SITE CHARGES.

I MEAN, YOU FROM SIGHT.

WE'RE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD OF THE SENATE, FROM THE STATE CHARGES.

SO WE'RE ASKING ATTACHMENT.

TOO, THE MURDER.

IF YOU ARE A WOMAN, YOU WILL HAVE AN ATTACHMENT FROM THE SITE RIGHT?

AND WHEN GOING ON.

AND ALREADY OBTAIN ORDER OF PROTECTION.

THE LOSS ALREADY THERE.

THIS IS THAT WHEN THEY OF TENURE PROTECTIONS, THE STATE POLICE IS SUPPOSED TO PICK UP THAT GONE.

IF THE STATE POLICE CAN DO IT.

THE COOK COUNTY SHERIFF, COUNTY SHERIFF CAN DO THE DOMESTIC UNIT IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO LA FAILED HER.

YES, THEY WERE THERE TO PRIOR.

COULD RETRIEVE THE TIME.

THEY DIDN'T.

AND THAT'S WHY IS NOT HERE.

BUT WHAT SHE WAS STILL ALIVE.

AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT NOBODY HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

AND CARMEN, I WANT TO BRING YOU IN.

KARINA IS BILL NAMED AS WE KNOW IN HONOR OF KARINA GONZALEZ WOULD ALLOW LAW ENFORCEMENT TO REMOVE GUNS FROM ACCUSED ABUSERS WHILE SERVING ORDERS OF PROTECTION.

NOW YOU HAVE A BACKGROUND IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WERE JUST KARINA BILL.

WHERE DOES THE BILL STAND NOW?

WHERE IT STANDS RIGHT NOW IS HALTED.

THERE ARE A LOT OF THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO ADD AT THE END.

I KNOW THEY'RE THEY'RE SAYING THERE'S A LOT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT KIND OF PUSHING BACK ON SOME THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE STATING THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES.

BUT I THINK ONE THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT WE DON'T WANT VICTIMS OUT THERE TO FEEL THAT LIKE THERE'S NOTHING IN PLACE RIGHT NOW AS BALTAZAR STATED, THERE ARE LAWS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS THAT REMOVE FIREARMS FROM THE HANDS OF DOMESTIC ABUSERS ON THE ISSUE, I THINK LIES AND AND THE SIMPLE THING LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY, WHICH IS EDUCATING PEOPLE ON WHAT EVERYONE'S ROLE IS WHEN IT COMES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

BECAUSE THE SYSTEM IS FAILING ITS NOT JUST LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NOT JUST THE ADVOCATES.

IT IS NOT JUST THE LEGISLATURE IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT ALL SITTING TOGETHER IN THE SAME SPACE.

UNDERSTANDING ALL OF OUR ROLES SO THAT WE CAN SAVE THESE WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES WOULD JUST SAY THAT'S WHAT THEY NEED TO PASS THIS LAW.

THAT'S WHY THEY NEED TO PASS THIS LAW.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND THE GOING BACK TO YOU.

THERE'S ALSO INCREASED THE NUMBER OF COUNTIES ACROSS ILLINOIS WHERE DOMESTIC DEATHS WERE REPORTED WITH COULD COUNTY SHOWING THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INCIDENTS WISE ALSO ALARMING TO YOU.

WELL, COOK OF COURSE, HAS THE HIGHEST POPULATION OF ILLINOIS AND BUT WE WANT TO SHOW THAT THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO LARGE URBAN AREAS.

THIS IS ACROSS THE STATE IN OUR RULE, AREAS IN OUR SUBURBAN AREAS.

IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO ADDRESS.

STATEWIDE COLLECTIVELY WITH ALL THE VARIOUS THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER JUST MENTIONED, ALL OUR SYSTEMS ARE NOT WORKING TOGETHER.

AND WE HAVE GOT TO SHOW THAT THIS ISN'T JUST A BIG CITY PROBLEM.

IT'S A STATEWIDE PROBLEM.

AND WE AND AND WE'RE COUNTIES THIS YEAR THAN EVER.

27 COUNTIES IN ILLINOIS EXPERIENCED AT LEAST ONE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDE.

SO WE NEED WE NEED TO NOT LOOK AT THIS AS SOME KIND OF LOCALIZED ISSUE.

THIS IS A STATEWIDE PROBLEM WE NEED TO ADDRESS AND THAT'S WHY THE STATE LEGISLATION IS SO IMPORTANT.

CARMEN, TALK TO ME ABOUT THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR CENTER IN MARCHAND.

THIS WAS OPEN LAST OCTOBER.

WAS OPENED LAST OCTOBER FROM OCTOBER TELL PRESIDENT WE'VE HELPED OVER 1500 PEOPLE WITH FINAL ORDERS OF PROTECTION.

IT'S A SAFE IRIS MARTINEZ, THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT WHEN SHE CAME IN, SHE WANTED US TO IDENTIFY SPACES WITHIN OUR CURRENT FACILITIES THAT WOULDN'T COST ANY MONEY.

WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANY RED TAPE BECAUSE SHE WAS VISITING A COURTHOUSE AND AS SHE WAS WALKING THROUGH, THERE WAS A VICTIM IN THE HALL BRUISED AND BATTERED AND SHE WAS SPEAKING TO THE ADVOCATE IN THE HALLWAY AND SHE FOUND THAT UNACCEPTABLE.

SO SHE CHARGED US WITH FINDING SPACE SO THAT ADVOCATES CAN HAVE A SPACE THAT CHILDREN CAN HAVE A QUIET SPACE.

WATCH.

SOME TV PLAY HAVE SNAPPED AND THEY'RE BE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.

THEY CAN ZOOM INTO THEIR COURT HEARING EVEN IF THE COURT HEARING IS NOT AT THE MARKHAM COURTHOUSE.

IT'S IN SKOKIE.

ROLLING MEADOWS, WE HAVE A ZOOM ROOM SET UP IN THAT SPACE WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL.

WE HAVE OUR STAFF THERE, PROVIDE THEM THE FORMS, HELP THEM COMPLETE THE FORMS.

WHAT HAS THE FEEDBACK BEEN LIKE FOR THE VICTIMS?

WELL, IT'S IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT.

AGAIN, GOING BACK TO COMMUNICATION.

EVERYONE WORKING TOGETHER, EVERYONE GETS COMFORTABLE DOING THINGS THE WAY THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE IT.

THERE ARE SOME ADVOCATES WHO HAVE BEEN GREAT ABOUT UTILIZING THE SPACE.

THERE'S A THE ADVOCATES WHO WANT TO CONTINUE USING THE SPACE.

THEY'RE IN.

AND SO WE CAN CREATE THE SPACE WE CAN MAKE SPACE AVAILABLE.

THE VICTIMS UTILIZE THE SPACE.

WE DON'T ALWAYS GET ALL THE INTO JUST REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND EVERYONE TOGETHER IN BUTLER SAID LAST YEAR WHEN ATION HELD A MARCH AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, A LITTLE VILLAGE.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE EVENT AND AS A MAN, WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO STAND UP FOR THAT LIKE FOR THIS?

WELL, YOU I'M A BIG MAMA SO MY MOM ALWAYS SO THAT IN MY LIFE DISPLAYED A ROLE.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PLAYED A ROLE.

MY PARENTS SEPARATED WHEN I 14, I THEN BECAME THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD.

YOU KNOW, THE BREAD MAKER IN.

YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS HERE RIGHT?

FROM BREAKS UP AND THE KIDS BECOME VICTIM SO I'VE BECOME TOO.

AND, YOU KNOW, I SKIPPED MY YOUTH.

I BECAME TO WORK TO BECOME A DAUGHTER.

14.

AND SO THOSE ARE 2 THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY FACES CHILDREN GOING ON THE COMMUNITY.

AND HOW DO WE BREAK THIS CYCLE RIGHT?

NOT BECAUSE OF ME NOT BECOMING ABUSER.

SO I THINK MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME THAT WOMAN ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CARING FOR YOU.

REASON YOU AND I THINK THE LOVE THAT SHE GAVE ME IS WHAT IS MAKING ME FIGHT FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS, FIGHTING FOR THEM TO HAVE SURPRISE WITH THE SPIKE IN DEATHS.

IT'S SHOCKING.

YOU KNOW, SEE THIS NUMBER GO SO HIGH.

SO WE HAVE TO SEE THAT THERE MISSION WITH AGGRESSION AND THAT THE PRESSURE ALSO NEEDS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INSTEAD OF BEING INCARCERATED.

INSTEAD OF JUST PUT IN JAIL AND THEY COME UP WANT COME MORNING JURY MORE AGGRESSIVE TRYING TO BREAK THE SYSTEM.

IN COMMON.

LAST QUESTION HERE, YOU DEDICATE MUCH OF YOUR CAREER TO PREVENTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE WHO'S FACING, YOU KNOW, THESE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHO IS A VICTIM NOW?

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM?

THE THE SYSTEM ITSELF HAS TO DRIVEN AND I WOULD TELL FIRST OFF ALL WE ALL NEED TO ADMIT THAT WE WE ARE FAILING VICTIMS EVERY DAY.

AND BY WE IT'S THE SYSTEM.

AND SO PLEASE DON'T LOSE HOPE SOMEONE SOMEWHERE MAY HAVE FAILED.

BUT THERE'S THERE'S ALWAYS HELP SPEAK UP.

LET US KNOW WHO FAILED YOU WHERE YOU WERE FAILED SO THAT WE CAN SHORE THAT UP AND REALLY PROTECT YOU AND HELP YOU AND