Law enforcement officials in eastern Kentucky are seeing an increase in domestic violence calls and arrests. The Whitley County Sheriff’s Department last week alerted the community to resources that are available for victims.
Deputy Brentley Patrick said they typically see an increase in calls this time of year.
“The holidays, of course, are approaching at this time of year. We see people that are having issues with paying bills and looking at holiday expenses, paying their property taxes. It just kind of increases that anxiety and tensions in the household,” said Patrick.
Deputy Patrick said as soon as the weather got colder, people started spending more time indoors and calls for help increased.
The law enforcement official said people can request wellness checks if they suspect someone they know is in an unsafe situation.
“This just kind of gets the ball rolling. We’ll go out to the house and based on the information that’s provided, we will question the victim, or anyone in the household, and just kind of start raising that flag, that we were notified and there’s help out there,” said Patrick.
Deputy Patrick said there are organizations that can help victims of domestic violence with housing, food insecurity and finances.
Officials said domestic violence is not only physical, it can also be mental, emotional or even financial.
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