A police lieutenant who has made it her mission to train other officers about the dynamics of domestic violence was among those honored at the Ohio Attorney General’s 2015 Two Days in May Conference, which drew more than 1,000 victim advocates for presentations, workshops and networking at the Hyatt Regency Columbus.
This year’s honorees:
The Robert Denton Special Achievement Award: Lt. Deena Baker, a 19-year veteran of the Elyria Police Department, was recognized on May 5 for her commitment to serving crime victims.
While presenting the award to Baker, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said, “One of the great things about the job of attorney general is meeting inspirational people like Lt. Baker. Her contributions are helping law enforcement protect Ohio’s families.”
Baker, who has been a member of the Lorain County Domestic Violence Task Force for more than 10 years and an active participant in the Lorain County Elder Abuse Network, worked with a domestic violence shelter to develop a training program for law enforcement.
“If you don’t understand the cycle of abuse, it can be hard to go forward with an investigation,” she said.
As a member of the board of directors for Genesis House, a family shelter for parents and children seeking escape from violence at home, Baker emphasizes the need for law enforcement to listen to victims of domestic violence and be prepared, if necessary, to seek a victimless prosecution of the suspect using physical evidence, for example, and information from the history of the abuser.
Police, she said, also need to be involved in “safety planning” to make sure victims are kept from further harm.
As part of the training, officers are given an opportunity to hear a domestic violence survivor’s story and to ask questions. To be singled out for an award, Baker said, is a great honor.
“I’m truly humbled. So many people do this work every day and are not recognized.”
The Promising Practice Award: The Providence House in Cleveland is a crisis nursery that serves as a temporary shelter for children from birth to 10 years who are at risk of abuse or neglect. At Providence House, children find safety and comfort while efforts are being made by the Crisis Intervention and Family Preservation Program to stabilize the rest of the family. Last year, Providence House provided services to 251 children from 112 families.
Additional resources: For more information or to see videos from the conference, visit
www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/TDIM. To learn about trainings and services provided by the Attorney General’s Crime Victim Services Section, visit
www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/Victims