SAFETY BEFORE AND DURING AN ATTACK

• Defend and protect yourself
• Call Novato Police Department 897-1122 or 9-1-1
• Call out for help. Scream loudly
• Escape if you can. Whenever you believe you are in danger, leave your home and take your children, no matter the time of day or night. Go to a house of a friend or relative or a domestic violence shelter.
• Practice how to get out of your home safely. Identify which doors, windows etc..would be best.
• If you are in an abusive relationship have a packed bag ready and keep it in an undisclosed but accessible location in order to leave quickly.
• Identify a neighbor you can tell about the violence and ask that they call the police if they hear a disturbance coming from your home.
• Decide and plan where you will go if you have to leave home.
• Use your own instincts and judgement. If your instinct tells you that you are in danger LISTEN TO IT AND ACT!
• You have the right to protect yourself until you are out of danger.
• Always remember., YOU DONT DESERVE TO BE HIT OR THREATENED
  SAFETY WHEN PREPARING TO LEAVE
• Open a savings account in your own name to start to establish or increase your independence.
• Leave money, an extra set of keys, copies of important documents and extra clothes with someone you trust so you can leave quickly
• Determine who would be able to let you stay with them or lend you some money
• Review your safety plan as often as possible in order to plan the safest way to leave your batterer.

SAFETY IN YOUR OWN HOME

• Change the locks on your doors as soon as possible. Buy additional locks and safety devices to secure your windows.
• Create a safety plan with your children for when you are not with them.
• Inform your children's school, day care, etc about who has permission to pick up your children.
• Inform neighbors and your landlords that your partner no longer lives with you and they should call the police if they see or hear him/her near your home.

SAFETY WITH A PROTECTIVE ORDER

• Keep your protective order with you at all times
• List your place of employment and your children's school or day care on it.
• Call the police if your partner violates the protective order. Novato Police Department 897-4361 or 9-1-1
• Have a picture that you can give to the police in case he/she is gone on their arrival.
• Inform your family, friends, employer, and neighbors that you have a protective order.

SAFETY ON THE JOB AND IN PUBLIC

• Decide whom at work you will inform of your situation. This should include office or building security. Provide them with a picture if possible.
• Devise a safety plan for when you leave work. Have someone escort you to your car, bus or train. Use a variety of routes to go home of possible.

CHECKLIST B WHAT YOU NEED TO SET ASIDE TO TAKE WHEN YOU LEAVE

____ Identification/ Driver's License

____ Court orders

____ Birth certificates, Passport

____ Money

____ Check books, credit cards

____ Insurance papers

____ Medications, prescriptions

____ Address book

____ School records/Immunizations

____ Pictures

____ House keys, car keys

____ Car registration papers

____ Other

Your life and that of your children are more important than anything else. These items are not as important as your lives.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - THE HIDDEN CRIME
NOVATO POLICE DEPARTMENT

• 24 Hour Emergency 9-1-1
• Police Non-Emergency 415-897-4361
• Marin Center for Independent Living 415-459-6245
• Services for the Disabled
• Marin County Agency on Aging 415-499-7396
• Services for the Elderly
• Senior Access  415-897-6884
• Spectrum 415-457-1115
• Marin Abused Women's Services (MAWS) 415-924-6616
• MAWS Men's Services 415-924-1070

 VICTIM/WITNESS ASSISTANCE

All victims of crime, their family members, and witnesses of crime may obtain information and assistance from the Victim/Witness Division of the Marin County District Attorney's Office

Ph: M-F 8:30am - 5:00pm 499-6482

ARE YOU IN A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP?

Does the person you love...

• Constantly accuse you of being unfaithful?
• Discourage your relationships with family and friends?
• Prevent you from working or attending school?
• Criticize you for little things all the time?
• Anger easily and become abusive when drinking or using other drugs?
• Control all finances and force you to account in detail for what you spend?
• Destroy personal property or sentimental items?
• Hit, punch, slap, kick, or bite you or the children?
• Use or threaten to use a weapon against you?
• Force you to have sex against your will?

If you have answered yes to any of these you may be in an unhealthy or abusive relationship.

IT'S TIME TO GET THE APPROPRIATE HELP.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - Planning for your Safety

Domestic Violence is Against the Law

There are no easy answers but there are things you can do to protect yourself and plan for the future.

Call the police or sheriff. Assault, even by family members is a crime. The police often have information about shelters and other agencies that help victims of domestic violence.

Victims of domestic violence come from all walks of life, all cultures, all income groups, all ages, all religions. They share feelings of helplessness, isolation, guilt, fear and shame.

Presented by the Novato Police Department