Our homes should be places of safety and security, not those of violence and fear. The threat of domestic violence is all too real and we must do all we can to protect women and all victims of abuse. We must ensure the sanctity of the home end of discussion. Providing security to abuse victims and ensuring that no one else has to suffer from this tragedy is a must if we are to move the protection of women forward in our state.

No one should feel threatened or unsafe in their own home, and I’ve joined with my peers on the Assembly Minority Task Force on Preventing Domestic Violence to address this terrible problem that so many people face. The findings of the task force were startling, that one-in-four women would experience abuse is simply gut-wrenching and the trend is only getting worse.

However, we are taking steps to fight this atrocity and restore safety in our homes. We must encourage coordination between law enforcement, prosecutors, and administrators with specific state-funded training.

We must provide a seamless and efficient support structure for victims, and if we all work from the same playbook this training will give us that. We’re all on the same team trying to solve this problem, and encouraging cooperation and training will make it easier to reach a solution quickly and effectively.

Abuse victims should not feel threatened to come forward. We’re listening, we’re here to help. This epidemic must end. It will not be tolerated. We will continue to do everything in our power to make New York state a place safe for all victims of domestic violence, regardless of their circumstances.