OLDS — Details have now been hammered out for an upcoming meeting on domestic and family violence.
Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society (MVESS) outreach services coordinator Emilie Webb says it will be held March 21 at 7 p.m. in the Town of Olds administration office.
“It’s going to be called Let’s Get Real About Domestic Violence,” Webb said during an interview.
She said it will feature speakers representing Victim Services, MVESS and Olds RCMP. After each person has spoken, there will be an opportunity for people to ask questions.
“Our hope is to have some discussions around different aspects of domestic violence towards a preventative approach,” Webb said.
In the fall of 2021, Webb told town council that during the previous year, her organization saw a 235 per cent increase in the number of clients using their services, from 69 to 263 clients.
She said that figure is now more than 300 per cent.
“They had risen very sharply at that time and they’ve continued to increase,” Webb said. “Not as sharply year on year, but if we look at the beginning of pandemic to now, we’re at over 300 per cent.”
During town hall meetings in the area and during a meeting with news media, Olds RCMP commanding officer Staff Sgt. Warren Wright announced a desire to hold a meeting on domestic violence.
“Not only awareness – like what to look for in other people – but what to look for within yourself, so it’s more of an education thing,” he told news media.
Wright said another positive aspect of such a meeting might be that some attendees might come to police later and report a family violence matter that they’re aware of.
