WHEREAS, the Seattle Police Department responded to 12,483 domestic violence-related calls for service in 2002; and

WHEREAS, every year thousands of women are injured seriously by domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, a 1990 Ford Foundation study found that 50 percent of the homeless women and children were fleeing abuse and 46 percent of cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness; and

WHEREAS, children exposed to domestic violence face increased risk for problems such as sleep disturbances, physical illness symptoms, loss of skills learned earlier, and poorer school performance and exhibit more aggressive behavior; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence includes the battering of intimate partners as well as other forms of family violence such as elder abuse and child abuse; and

WHEREAS, according to research studies, there is a 30 percent to 60 percent overlap between violence against children and violence against women in the same family; and

WHEREAS, women working in the sex industries are at high risk of domestic violence as a result of the violence in their work lives; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence respects no boundaries, affecting people of all races, ages, religions, occupations, education levels, cultures, incomes and sexual orientations; and

WHEREAS, patterns of dating violence behavior often start early and carry through into adult relationships; and

WHEREAS, men, who commit 95 percent of all domestic violence, have an essential role to play in addressing violence and confronting the factors that contribute to the perpetuation of violence in our society; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence was identified as a regional issue by the King County Council Regional Policy Committee; and

WHEREAS, The City of Seattle has developed a nationally recognized coordinated approach to domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, The City of Seattle has just completed assessments of its criminal justice system response to domestic violence and the community-based network of victims services; and

WHEREAS, employers, such as The City of Seattle, are affected by domestic violence in terms of lost productivity, increased health care costs, increased absenteeism and increased employee turnover; and

WHEREAS, the goal of The City of Seattle is to reduce the incidence and effects of domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, cooperation, collaboration and coordination among all City departments and the community is essential to successfully respond to domestic violence in an efficient and effective manner; and

WHEREAS, in 1995, The Seattle City Council established by Resolution 29204 a Domestic Violence Council to coordinate the City's efforts to address domestic violence; and

WHEREAS, the Seattle Women's Commission is charged with advising Seattle government on matters concerning women; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:

Section 1. The Domestic Violence Coordinating Council created pursuant to Resolution 29204 shall be renamed the Domestic Violence Prevention Council. It shall operate under the joint sponsorship of the Executive, Law and Legislative branches of City government to:

1. Foster inter-departmental collaboration in the City's domestic violence response;

2. Determine program effectiveness through program monitoring and evaluation;

3. Promote an integrated approach to budgeting for domestic violence services;

4. Develop recommendations regarding the City's domestic violence policies within a regional framework;

5. Explore innovative approaches employed in other jurisdictions to address domestic violence;

6. Coordinate interdepartmental efforts to obtain grant funding and recommend the allocation of such funds; and

7. Be an active participant in the community response to domestic violence.

Section 2. The Domestic Violence Prevention Council (DVPC) shall be a 17-member body initially composed of the following individuals or their designees: the City Attorney; the Chair of the City Council Committee charged with responsibility for public health and human services matters; the Chair of the City Council Committee charged with responsibility for public safety matters; the Mayor; the Fire Chief; the Director of the Human Services Department; the Director of the Office of Housing; the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation; the Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations; the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods; the Director of the Office for Civil Rights; the Personnel Director; the Director of Public Health Seattle & King County; the Chief of Police; the Director of the City's Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Office, currently housed in the Human Services Department; the Executive Director of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a community-based organization representing providers who help carry out the work of the city by delivering domestic violence services; and a representative of the Seattle Women's Commission.

Section 3. The King County Prosecutor and the King County Sheriff may serve ex-officio as non-voting members of the Domestic Violence Prevention Council.

Section 4. Leadership for the Domestic Violence Prevention Council (DVPC) shall be provided by a steering committee. This committee shall plan each DVPC meeting, including the determination of agendas and review of draft materials. The members of the steering committee shall attend the DVPC meetings and rotate responsibility for chairing DVPC meetings. The steering committee will be composed of the Director of the Human Services Department, the Chief of Police, the City Attorney and one member of the City Council.

Section 5. An important part of the Domestic Violence Prevention Council's work plan shall be the drafting and implementation of a Five-Year Strategic Plan for the City of Seattle and the identification of methods to monitor its implementation.

Section 6. The Domestic Violence Prevention Council shall utilize standing committees, designated by the steering committee, in the implementation of its work plan. The Steering Committee shall invite representatives from community-based agencies, other governmental entities and other community organizations to serve on these committees.

Section 7. This resolution supersedes Resolution 29204, which created the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council.

Section 8. Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of ____________, 2005, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ____ day of ____________, 2005. ___________________________________ President ___________ of the City Council

THE MAYOR CONCURRING: _________________________________ Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor

Filed by me this ______ day of ____________, 2005. ___________________________________ City Clerk

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