Police in York Region are stepping up their fight against intimate partner violence with a three-month awareness campaign.
York Regional Police said they receive more than 6,000 reports related to intimate partner violence every year but lay charges in fewer than 2,000 of those cases.
The force is launching a bus and billboard ad campaign to raise awareness of the issue and encourage survivors and victims to report it.
York police officers are also embedded in a centralized space called the 482 Collective at the York Region Centre for Community Safety, which provides wraparound services for survivors.
Having police in the space means victims can report incidents of intimate partner violence without having to go to a police station and ensure the interaction with police can be as “supportive and positive as it can be.”
Other parts of the awareness campaign include a flag raising, training and commemorating important days in the fight against intimate partner violence.