Pinellas County Domestic Violence Task Force

History and Chronology

1977 Free Clinic Spouse Abuse Shelter, the domestic violence shelter in Pinellas County, was
founded by Sister Margaret Freeman. It later became known as CASA.

1980 The Spouse Abuse Shelter of RCS, the second shelter, opened in north Pinellas.

1982 CASA became incorporated and separated from the St. Petersburg Free Clinic.

1984 Pinellas National Organization for Women (NOW) began staging Take Back the Night
marches in St. Petersburg as well as collecting statistics on violence against women,
including rape and domestic violence (statistics have been kept continuously since).

1986-87 Pinellas NOW, CASA, RCS shelter and Captain Tom Knapp of the Largo Police Dept.
began lobbying for a countywide Preferred Arrest Policy. Only two police departments
out of 17 law enforcement agencies in Pinellas County had a preferred arrest policy at
that time.

1987 Pinellas Police Standards Council formed a task force entitled Pinellas Police Standards
Council Task Force. It included representatives of 17 Police Departments, Criminal
Justice planning, Pinellas NOW and S.A.D.

1987 In October, the Pinellas Police Standards Council approved a countywide Preferred
Arrest Policy and engaged the Task Force to implement it.

1988 In January the Police Standards Council founded the Pinellas Domestic Violence Task
Force with Tom Knapp as Chair.

1988 In November the Pinellas Police Standards Council Task Force on Domestic Violence
submitted its Progress Report to the Police Standards Council recommending the
Program have:
1. Training of all components
2. Law Enforcement Response
3. Community Education
4. Mandatory Counselling of Perpetrators
5. Coordination and Evaluation, including a Project Coordinator

1989 Police Standards Council approved the first three parts of the Task Forces Program.

1989 Criminal Justice Planning Council approved the first four parts of the Task Forces
Program.

1989 Mandatory Batterers Intervention Program (BIP) was instituted in Pinellas with therapists
with a Masters degree forming the BIP therapy groups.

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 Pinellas County Domestic Violence Task Force
History and Chronology
1989-91 Members of the Domestic Violence Task Force including the Chair, CASA, RCS Shelter
and NOW worked with a number of agencies to implement the fifth part of the Task
Forces Program, including a full time paid staff member and an assistant to work for the
Task Force to implement and evaluate the way domestic violence is dealt with in Pinellas
County.

1991 In April the Pinellas County Domestic Violence Task Force became the Domestic
Violence Intervention Program located at the Family Service Center with one full-time
paid Director and one paid assistant with Pinellas County Commission funds.

1992 In December the Domestic Violence Intervention Program and its Advisory Board were
ended. The one remaining staff member was moved to work on the Family Court Civil
Injunctions.

1993 In February a new Pinellas County Domestic Violence Task Force was founded by Judge
Lenderman and Karleen De Blaker, the Clerk of the Court.

1995 The Spouse Abuse Shelter in North Pinellas was renamed the Haven of RCS.

1996 The State Attorney, Bernie McCabe created a Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Unit.

2000 Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team formed.

2000 Leadership Awards were created and awarded.

2001 In October a Bridging the Gap event was held to highlight the animal abuse link to
domestic violence and included both Pinellas and Hillsborough County members walking
across Friendship Trail Bridge.

2001 In November the first Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report was disseminated.

2003 The Delta Project and Safe Start Initiative grants awarded with PCDVTF collaboration.

2003 PCDVTF collaborated with Clear Channel to create billboards creating awareness to the
animal abuse and domestic violence link.

2004 Statistics reports including recommendations for law enforcement, state attorneys office
and judges were disseminated.

2004 PCDVTF added sexual violence prevention to its mission statement.

2005 A website was created and maintained by the PCDVTF with information and resources.

2006 A drafting of an Interagency Agreement was initiated between domestic violence centers,
child protection and child welfare agencies.

2006 PCDVTF compiled and sent questionnaires to prospective judges about their DV
experience and understanding.

2010 A court watch Program for injunction hearings was implanted.

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 Pinellas County Domestic Violence Task Force
History and Chronology

2011 The first Be a Better Bystander panel is held in the community as a response to the
recommendations from the Fatality Review Team report.

2011 In response to PCDVTF requests the Pinellas County School Board added a Teen
Dating Abuse Policy to its student handbook.

2011 PCDVTF changed its logo from clasped hands to purple ribbon, made efforts to
complete a countywide safety audit and ended the formal court watch program.

2012 With the dissolution of the state wide domestic violence program the BIP providers will
be monitored by PCDVTF.

2012 The Prevention Committee began participating in community events on behalf of

PCDVTF.

2013 Domestic Violence Civil Court Grant was awarded to PCDVTF by the Office of Violence
Against Women.

2013 PCDVTF, in conjunction with the Civil Court and their VOWA grant, held a Community
Collaborative Training for attorneys and judges.

2013 In response to recommendations from the Fatality Review team, PERC and Westcare
created a substance abuse curriculum for clients in an in-patient substance treatment
center who had admittedly domestic violent backgrounds but no criminal charges.

2013 PCDVTF created a Gun Violence Resolution for the Pinellas County Commission.

2013 The first printing of the Say This, Not That nonviolent language booklet was printed and
disseminated in coordination with PCDVTF.

2015 PCDVTF organized a fundraising Run for Peace 5K event.

2015 Primary Prevention Team of the PCDVTF launched Effective Communication with Your
Child about Teen Dating Violence for parents of high school and middle school students

2016 PCDVTF created a Non-fatal Domestic Violence Strangulation Documentation Form

and provides training for law enforcement, prosecutors and the community.

2017 PCDVTF joined with JAEDA (Jewish Alliance to End Domestic Abuse) to sponsor The
Yellow Dress at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater.