TOPEKA, Kan. – Topeka law enforcement are seeing an increase in domestic violence related calls Tuesday morning, in line with a trend reported by law enforcement across the country.
Topeka Police Department Lieutenant Manny Munoz said the department is seeing a “small spike” in domestic calls, and they are following the situation closely. Despite the state and county stay-at-home orders, Munoz said people should not be afraid to walk away from a situation that’s getting heated.
“If tensions are getting high in your home and you need to step out of the house, step out of the house,” Munoz said. “Go for a walk. Get in your vehicle and if you need to go somewhere, to a quiet place just so you know you can get away from the situation, we encourage that.”
Munoz suggested people always call 911 in an emergency. However, he said there are other ways to get help with out alerting the people around you.
“You can always text 911 too so if you have the ability to do that on your phone, you can do that,” Munoz said. “Other things, contact a family member, text a family member, email that family member, let them know what’s going on and see if maybe they can call for you.”
Outside of law enforcement, the YWCA has a 24-hour crisis hotline at 888-822-2983 for people who are in crisis. The National Domestic Violence Hotline allows people to text “LOVE” to 22522 to get help.
The YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment at 225 SW 12th Street in Topeka is open during the stay-at-home order:
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Tuesdays: 10:30 am to 5:00 pm
Although the center accepts walk-ins, due to concerns around the coronavirus, it encourages people to call 785-354-7927 to make an appointment.
