Advocates tell NBC 5 that the holiday season often increases the chance of domestic violence. Stressful times often lead to police calls and trips to women's shelters.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R - Texas, and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson visited Genesis Women's Shelter Tuesday morning. They picked out holiday gifts, wrapped them, and gave them to victims of domestic violence.
“It takes all of us to fight this, to be able to talk to a neighbor. To be able to speak to a friend to know these resources," said Jan Edgar Langbein, CEO of Genesis.
Langbein said city and federal grants help keep shelters like Genesis up and running. Mayor Johnson touted a nearly twelve percent year-to-year drop in aggravated assaults from last year with a nod to the Dallas Police Department.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
"It’s a tricky issue. It takes place behind closed doors. That’s why it’s so challenging," said Mayor Johnson.
Much of the police work and victim services for abuse cases come after the violence happens. NBC 5 asked what government officials like them can do before the violence occurs. Both, in their way, pointed to trying to get more mental health services to people beforehand and getting guns away from people legally not allowed to have firearms, like felons.
Mayor Johnson pointed to a domestic violence task force the city started to try to raise awareness of domestic abuse in the schools and communities earlier.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“As long as there’s a single person in this city who is dealing with family violence, we’re not going to be satisfied," said Mayor Johnson.
Sen. Cornyn pointed to the recent Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which helps get guns out of felons' hands with funding for red flag laws, increasing background checks, and mental healthcare programs not yet fully rolled out.
Texas does not have a red flag law but still gets equal funding. The money here goes to outpatient treatment through drug and veterans courts. Other measures in the bill include expanding the definition of domestic violence to include recent or ongoing romantic relationships - not just spouses - and stops them from legally purchasing a gun after they're convicted.
President Biden signed the bill into law last year after bipartisan votes in Congress.
“That’s being implemented. It will take some time. This has got a lot of moving parts, but there’s something, as Jan (Genesis CEO) said, for all of us to do," said Sen. Cornyn.
