October is Domestic Violence Awareness & Prevention month. Domestic violence is a significant problem facing all communities. Consider for a moment that in Marshalltown the police department investigated 306 domestic violence related calls for service and made 117 domestic violence arrests in 2018. In 2019, the police department has investigated 283 domestic violence related calls for serviceand made 85 arrests. These known numbers are staggering enough. Now consider that some studies have shown only 25 percent of domestic violence related crimes are reported to the police. If this report rate holds true in Marshalltown, that would mean there were over 900 domestic violence related incidents, which went unreported during calendar year 2018.

These criminal incidents significantly affect police department resources and have long-term effects upon countless families and children in our community. National studies tell us that nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the United States have suffered severe physical violence by an intimate partner. Intimate partner violence affects more than 12 million people each year in the United States.

The Marshalltown Police Department takes this problem seriously and is committed to working with the community to combat the problems of abuse and violence. We need your help. As a community we need to stand together to stop violence. We must educate our children to treat all people with dignity and respect. We must stop avoiding the problems of family violence and stop blaming the victims as somehow being the cause of domestic abuse. This is a community problem that cannot be tolerated. By working together as one community, we can have a positive impact on this social problem.

If you need help getting out of an abusive situation or you know someone who needs help, you can contact the telephone numbers below for help and information.

Marshalltown Police Department: (641) 754-5725 or 911

Marshall County Attorney’s Office: (641) 754-6314

Assault Care Center Extending Shelter & Support (ACCESS): (855) 983-4641

National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233

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For more information, please contact Police Chief Michael Tupper by calling 641-754-5771 or via email at mtupper@marshalltown-ia.gov.