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→ Safety planning after leaving

Staying Safe After Leaving

 

At Home:

• Change the locks on your doors and windows as soon as possible.
• Replace wooden doors with steel doors.
• Install security systems — i.e., additional locks, window bars, poles to wedge against doors, electronic sensors, etc.
• Purchase rope ladders to be used for escape routes from the second floor.
• Install an outside lighting system that lights up when someone approaches your home.
• Teach your children how to use the phone to make collect calls to me and to trusted (friend, family), in case they feel threatened.
• Tell people who care for your children who has permission to pick them up
• Tell your neighbors, that your partner no longer lives with you and that they should call the police if he or she is near my residents.

Order of Protection:

• Keep the protection order in a safe location, and keep it with you at all times.
• Call the a local domestic violence shelter agency if your unsure how to register your protection order with the police departments.
• Tell your employer, friends, family and others that you have a protection order.
• If your protection order gets lost or destroyed, go to the County Courthouse and get another copy.
• If your partner violates the protection order, call the police and report it.  Call your layer, advocate, counselor, and/or tell the courts about the violation.
• If the police do not help, call your advocate or attorney and file a complaint with the Chief of the Police Department.
• File a private criminal complaint with the district judge in the jurisdiction that the violation took place or with the District Attorney. A domestic violence advocate will help you do this.

• Tell your boss, security, and co-workers at work about this situation.
• Ask a co-worker to help monitor your phone calls.
• When leaving work you can ask someone to walk you to your car.
• When you’re driving home from work and problems arise, call 911 or drive straight to the police department.

• If you feel depressed and ready to return to a potentially violent situation partner, you can call a domestic violence advocate or discuss it with a trusted person who is aware of situation.
• You can find things to do to make you feel stronger.
• When you have to talk to your partner in person or on the phone, you can make sure a third party is available to be with you.