Presented by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and the
Maricopa Association of Governments
as part of the Protocol Evaluation Project with support from the
Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families

The Protocol Evaluation Project coordinates a multi-disciplinary effort for assessing current protocols and practices used by law enforcement and prosecutors when responding to domestic violence offenders. A recent training event, Solutions for Safety, gathered more than 135 community leaders to update the work and shape the future of the misdemeanor and felony protocols. The Honorable Clint Hickman, Maricopa County Supervisor, District Four, opened the event and was joined by the Honorable Bill Montgomery, Maricopa County Attorney; Vice Mayor Robin Barker, City of Apache Junction; and Chief Steven Campbell, City of El Mirage. Supervisor Hickman said, “I serve on the Board of Supervisors for one of the biggest counties in the nation. As a Supervisor, I represent District 4 with nearly 800,000 people. I want to make sure each and every person has access to safety and assistance should they ever need it. If we can break the cycle of violence for them, we can save significant resources and many lives. This is more humane and a smart investment in our community.”

The event also featured “Challenges and Solutions Panels” about orders of protections & lethality assessment programs. After the panel presentations, attendees broke out into five classrooms for facilitated small group discussions. These discussions were aimed at improving the link between the Misdemeanor and Felony Protocol Models, building stronger relationships between disciplines, and creating greater continuity of care for victims. This event allowed community professional to explore challenges and develop solutions for enhancing the Misdemeanor and Felony Protocol Models, as well as explore how changing policy can change the way we address domestic violence.