Brooklyn Park Police Work To Stop Domestic Abuse
Domestic violence continues to turn some homes into crime scenes. For example, in Brooklyn Park, through August of this year, there were 349 domestic assault reports. Some are calling the issue a public health crisis.
The Brooklyn Park Police Department has two detectives whose primary job is to work on domestic violence cases.
“We see it every day, and you almost become callous to all the heinous assaults, and just how mean to people can be to one another,” said detective Shane Husarik.
Husarik has been with the Brooklyn Park Police Department for 14 years. It’s his job to gather evidence for cases. The work is demanding and at times, heartbreaking. He handles about 250 to 300 domestic abuse cases per year.
Sifting through files, Husarik said, “Here’s a case with a lady that got bit in the leg and she was assaulted in her car while they were driving home.”
Most of the cases are for strangulation. Repeat victims are frequent. Husarik worries most about the people who are too afraid to call.
“You see a lot of this going on, and your heart goes out to these people.”
Last year the detective started a program to make it easier for victims to reach out to police. He had set up shop at several different apartment rental offices in the city so people don’t have to come to the police station. The program is currently on hiatus as Husarik works with the police chief to figure out ways to better implement the program.
