One person dies every three days in a domestic violence incident in Arizona.
In Arizona, one in four women will experience domestic violence, and one in five teens will be the victim of dating abuse, according to the Paint Phoenix Purple website.
Paint Phoenix Purple is an initiative that was started by more than 50 public and private organizations, including the city, with the goal of preventing domestic violence. In October, Phoenix will display purple on buildings and streets to raise awareness of domestic violence.
“A year ago, the City Council got together and agreed that they wanted to work on domestic violence,” said Tamyra Spendley, a Phoenix community initiatives program specialist.
After council members approved an effort to end domestic violence, a five-year plan was drafted for the city, Spendley said. The plan included five pillars to strategize the best way to support a “community-wide domestic violence program,” according to the Paint Phoenix Purple website.
The five pillars are increasing community awareness and advocacy, making Phoenix a national model, reforming the justice system, enhancing coordination of service delivery, and developing community partnerships to end domestic violence.
“We want the city of Phoenix to become a national leader in ending domestic violence,” Spendley said.
Raising awareness of domestic violence by featuring purple throughout Phoenix was one of the first short-term goals the initiative accomplished.
Beginning Oct. 1, purple lights were installed on Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights near Van Buren Street and Loop 202 in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The lights on top of City Hall have also been changed to purple.
The lighting crystals along Third Street at the Phoenix Convention Center will also be changed to purple, and purple lights will be strung up in trees along Washington Street in downtown.
In addition to the lights, 30 Phoenix garbage trucks will have Paint Phoenix Purple posters on their sides and the city will paint a section of First Street between Adams and Monroe streets purple. The city’s cable channel, Phx11 will host an hourlong special on domestic violence that will play on different dates throughout October.
“It’s a very big problem. People don’t realize how many people are really affected by domestic violence,” said Lucia Howard, the co-chair of the Avon Program for Women and Justice at the O’Connor House.
The O’Connor House, a nonprofit organization with the goal of continuing the legacy of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, is one of the sponsors of the initiative along with the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Phoenix.
Howard said the initiative to raise awareness of domestic violence came together in 2009 when she talked to City Manager David Cavazos about projects the O’Connor House was working on battling the issue.
Cavazos introduced her to several council members who wanted to raise money for women’s shelters that at the time had been cut from the year’s budget, Howard said.
“They were looking for some funds to reopen shelters. We brought up the idea of doing a long-range plan,” Howard said.
After the group proposed the plan to the City Council, Howard said, they were met with unanimous approval. The council voted to grant $200,000 toward preventing domestic violence and another $100,000 to pay for a coordinator to run the services, she said.
The money would be put together to develop a call center where victims of domestic violence could find help without having to go through the lengthy process currently provided by state and national resources, Howard said.
“We’re so used to domestic violence being a part of our culture … (that) no one really raises concerns about it anymore,” Howard said.
Teresa Ball, a Phoenix Human Services Department worker, said she’s seen a strong response to the Paint Phoenix Purple campaign within City Hall.
“A lot of people are wearing purple or promoting wearing purple,” Ball said. “I think within our department they’re doing a good push.”
People were ordering shirts for Paint Phoenix Purple and a display had been placed on Ball’s floor providing information about the initiative, she said.
“I think (domestic abuse is) a big problem and people need to be more aware of it,” Ball said.
After October, the initiative will continue working toward the goals of its five-year plan, Spendley said.
“The goal is for more community awareness,” Spendley said. “We’re still working with partners.”
The city will work to streamline the legal side of domestic abuse cases so that victims will not wait long for justice, Spendley said. The initiative is also trying to raise more awareness in schools to help curb teen domestic abuse.
Spendley and Howard said an important thing to look forward to is an app being developed by an ASU professor that will allow victims of domestic abuse to find the shelter nearest their location.
Other Paint Phoenix Purple events happening in Phoenix during October include a series of programs at Phoenix public libraries. One, called “Teen Dating and Relationships,” is set to happen at Burton Barr Central Library on Oct. 31.
Victims of domestic violence are encouraged to contact the National Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Contact the reporter at tchawtho@asu.edu.
