Calgary police note downward trends in domestic violence for Family Violence Prevention Month
Each year we recognize Family Violence Prevention Month in November, along with other partner agencies and communities across Alberta. This provincial initiative aims to bring awareness to the complex issue of domestic violence and spark open and honest conversations in the interest of encouraging Calgarians to learn more about what resources are available and how they can help others.
Reports of domestic violence incidents to the Calgary Police Service continue to reflect a decrease, a trend first noted in 2019 that has generally remained consistent.
“We respond to approximately 20,000 calls a year related to domestic violence,” says Acting Staff Sergeant Glenn Andruschuk of the Calgary Police Service Domestic Conflict Unit. “Our statistics and reporting continue to show that, generally speaking, calls for service relating to actual incidents of domestic violence are decreasing, whereas domestic conflict reporting is increasing. This means that Calgarians are reaching out for help and being connected to the necessary supports and resources before a violent act occurs.”
Domestic conflict reporting refers to people recognizing a potentially dangerous domestic situation and placing a call for help. These non-criminal calls can include verbal altercations that escalated to the point that police were called or situations where one party asked police to be present during an interaction with an intimate partner or family member. This increase shows that members of the public are calling police and looking for community support before the situation escalates to violence.
By the numbers:
2019 – 2022 Domestic Violence Incidents
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
January | 423 | 361 | 297 | 243 |
February | 399 | 312 | 319 | 260 |
March | 404 | 330 | 311 | 250 |
April | 376 | 313 | 280 | 280 |
May | 390 | 343 | 317 | 274 |
June | 347 | 330 | 344 | 240 |
July | 387 | 391 | 348 | 316 |
August | 399 | 385 | 325 | 280 |
September | 390 | 336 | 323 | 227 |
October | 359 | 363 | 283 |
|
November | 363 | 320 | 291 |
|
December | 429 | 363 | 280 |
|
Year-End | 4,666 | 4,147 | 3,718 |
|
2019 – 2022 Domestic Reporting
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
January | 1,165 | 1,182 | 1,240 | 1,341 |
February | 1,014 | 1,168 | 1,084 | 1,247 |
March | 1,173 | 1,360 | 1,391 | 1,332 |
April | 1,059 | 1,415 | 1,250 | 1,297 |
May | 1,144 | 1,491 | 1,295 | 1,390 |
June | 1,250 | 1,390 | 1,339 | 1,343 |
July | 1,296 | 1,460 | 1,504 | 1,493 |
August | 1,224 | 1,411 | 1,353 | 1,328 |
September | 1,159 | 1,285 | 1,298 | 1,333 |
October | 1,091 | 1,265 | 1,339 |
|
November | 1,050 | 1,154 | 1,264 |
|
December | 1,214 | 1,331 | 1,372 |
|
Year-End | 13,839 | 15,912 | 15,729 |
|
Domestic violence is a complex problem that can only be addressed when everyone in the community works together to end it. Abuse thrives in silence. We encourage Calgarians to take time this month to:
- Learn how you can reach out and support someone you know, or suspect might be in an abusive or violent relationship.
- Be an open and accepting friend if someone discloses their experience with abuse – saying “I believe you” goes a long way.
- Talk to your children about what kinds of behaviours are healthy in a relationship and which ones are not.
- Donate to organizations that work to support families affected by domestic and sexual violence.
- Volunteer with organizations that work to support families affected by domestic and sexual violence.
Calgarians experiencing abuse or violence in an intimate or family relationship are always encouraged to reach out for help. There are countless agencies ready to offer support that can be contacted simply by calling 211. The Family Violence Helpline is available 24/7 at 403-234-SAFE (7233).
We also encourage you to call the Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818 which is available 24/7 and in more than 170 languages from anywhere in Alberta. If phone calls are not available to you, we encourage you to use the Alberta Safety Chat Line, by clicking HERE. This chat line is available between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. MST in English.
Victims of domestic violence can also contact the Calgary Police Service anytime by calling the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234, or 9-1-1 if you are in immediate danger.