06 Oct APD and FSS teaming up against domestic abuse

The Amarillo Police Department has moved its Domestic Violence Squad into the Family Support Services building to streamline investigations and expand immediate resources for victims, officials announced during a Sept. 30 press conference.

The centralized setup will allow investigators and advocates to work alongside one another, cutting down the multiple trips across town and repetitive interviews traditionally required of survivors.

“When a victim asks for help, we should make it easier, not harder,” APD Chief Thomas Hover said. “Think about it as a victim. You have to tell your story to a police officer, then to an investigator, and prosecutor … maybe even an advocate. Every time that victim has to repeat that story, that could be the worst moment of their life.”

The co-location builds on a multi-agency push that began nearly a decade ago.

“In 2017, the 47th District Attorney’s Office, FSS and Randall County District Attorney’s Office began to have conversations around how we could address the situation collaboratively as a team,” said Michelle Shields, Director of Advocacy at FSS. “Shortly after that, we formed the Domestic Violence Coalition.”

Shields added that the partnership expanded to create a regional Domestic Violence High Risk Team involving law enforcement, prosecutors, and legal aid.

“And from that, we have created a partnership with legal aid, all of the police departments and sheriff’s offices along with district attorney’s offices where we are addressing victims, surrounding them with the support they need but also with offender accountability, which is for what we now call our Domestic Violence High Risk Team,” Shields said.

FSS officials addressed local crime statistics showing Potter County’s domestic violence rates at three times the Texas state average, noting that higher figures often stem from improved reporting access and community outreach rather than increased incidence alone.

The announcement coincided with the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, kicked off by the coalition’s annual awareness walk from Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas to the Potter County Courthouse lawn on Oct. 1.