SAPD Crisis Response Teams merge with Metro Health, offer abuse survivors more resources
Metro Health now employs all civilian members of the Crisis Response Teams across San Antonio
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SAN ANTONIO – Big changes are beefing up the Crisis Response Teams, or CRTs, at San Antonio Police Department substations in an effort to offer more resources to domestic violence victims.
The CRTs deal solely with domestic violence cases. They’re made up of 59 sworn officers and 20 civilian workers, divided up between SAPD’s six substations.
“We’re providing safety plans, we’re talking to the victim about additional resources, we’re explaining to them the various dynamics within family violence and getting them to the shelter,” said Sgt. Ray Villarreal, who supervises SAPD’s CRT at the South Substation.
Experts say communication failure is causing a safety crisis for domestic violence victims, so state lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would make it easier to arrest domestic violence offenders who violate their bond conditions.
Take this survey on domestic violence, help community get funding for change
First-ever public domestic violence survey overseen by UTSA, Metro Health
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For the first time ever, there’s a city- and county-wide public surveyabout domestic violence.
The project could lead to crucial funding and policy change, but there’s a problem: a lot of people aren’t responding. The goal is to get thousands of participants but since Dec. 15, only about 350 people have filled out the survey.
“The more people participate, we can identify ways that we can strengthen the services provided to the individuals and families experiencing domestic violence,” said domestic violence survivor and social worker Elizabeth Cruz.
More than 320,000 pregnant women are abused during pregnancy each year, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. It's an issue directly attended to by members of SAPD's Crisis Response Team.