Federal Agencies Announce New Prioritized Efforts to Address Domestic Violence in Jefferson County and Will Provide Nearly $850,000 for Local Partners

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Both the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced new resources and support to combat domestic violence in Jefferson County. This comprehensive assistance will advance the law enforcement, crime prevention, and victim assistance priorities set by the United States Attorney’s Office and its local partners through Operation Safe Families.

Jefferson County’s designation for prioritized enforcement and prosecution responses to domestic violence results from United States’ Attorney General Merrick B. Garland approval of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022. Through this designation, the United States Attorney’s and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions will partner with each local law enforcement and community partners to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.

Alongside Jefferson County’s enforcement prioritization, the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women has awarded a $500,000 grant to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office – Birmingham Division – to enhance its investigations and prosecutions of domestic violence cases. These resources will expand the work of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Domestic Violence High-Risk Team.

HHS is also dedicating new resources in Jefferson County to address generational trauma and adverse childhood experiences caused by domestic violence. HHS is awarding $347,727 to One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center (One Place) for the advancement of its local work through Camp HOPE America – a national, year-round program that works with children (ages 7 -17) who have been impacted by domestic and family violence. One Place facilitates Alabama’s only Camp HOPE America site, serving Jefferson County. Through the HHS grant, One Place will be able to provide living assistance and counseling to families participating in Camp HOPE.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made combatting domestic violence, and the community violence it often leads to, a top priority.  In October 2020, the Office announced a new initiative, Operation Safe Families, to fight domestic violence in the Northern District of Alabama.  Our top priority is to keep our communities safe by keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. Operation Safe Families brings together federal law enforcement and local victim service providers, state and local law enforcement, and local prosecutors to better respond to the needs of victims of domestic violence and the threats presented to the community by domestic violence offenders. Not only do domestic violence offenders often terrorize former intimate partners, national and local crime data confirms that domestic violence offenders present extreme risks to law enforcement officers and are often responsible for significant amounts of violent crimes in Alabama communities. Operation Safe Families is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and supports of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.

“Domestic violence tears at the fabric of our communities and affects every demographic of society,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “People who commit violence within their homes are often also the same people who commit violent crimes in our communities.  My office along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement and community partners continue to work together to combat violent crime, to support victims of violence, and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders.” 

“ATF recognizes the role firearms play in violent crimes and, more specifically, domestic violence.” ATF Special Agent in Charge, Marcus Watson said. “We at ATF are committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and will continue to work with our partners to remove convicted domestic abusers who possess firearms from our communities.”

“Between 2021 and 2023, there were 114 total domestic violence related homicides in Jefferson County, and more than 70% of known homicide offenders in Jefferson County each year have a history of domestic violence,” said District Attorney Danny Carr. “My office will not fail to do its utmost to bring justice, safety, and protection for victims of violence and our community. These additional resources will provide meaningful assistance to sustain and expand the innovative work that our Domestic Violence High-Risk Team is conducting.”

“Preventing domestic violence and remedying the trauma it causes within a family and a community requires a comprehensive approach,” said Rebecca McWilliams, Executive Director of One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center. “The resources provide to Camp Hope from the Department of Health and Human Services can change lives and restore hope and opportunity for children and families affected by family violence. I am grateful and excited for the support and opportunities this grant will make within the lives of our Camp Hope families and in our community”.

To learn more about One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center or Camp Hope, please visit Camp Hope - Alabama .