Task Force Chair Kirsha Haverlah and County Attorney Delia Garza have been putting their resources into addressing the growing amount of Domestic Violence cases within Austin and Travis county. To do this, they instituted a variety of reforms to the way the government and legal system can handle domestic violence cases. These reforms aimed to aid domestic violence victims through the process of seeking legal help, and prevent further instances of domestic abuse.
Domestic Violence In Travis County
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Travis County witnessed a dramatic surge in domestic violence incidents and requests for protective orders. According to the Domestic Violence Task Force, calls for protective orders hit record highs in 2020, pushing the backlog to approximately 250 pending applications, up from a typical 25 cases before the pandemic This represented a tenfold increase, severely taxing the county’s legal and support infrastructure and leaving many abuse survivors waiting weeks, or even months, for court protection.
Compounding the crisis, court closures and reduced staffing delayed processing times, amplifying survivors’ vulnerability. Before reforms were implemented, it could take twice as long for a petition to be granted, leaving petitioners without legal safeguards against continued violence. With many trapped in unsafe living situations during quarantine, the system’s delays transformed domestic abuse into an even more urgent public safety concern.
In times of peril, when Domestic Violence Victims are at their most vulnerable, getting a protective order as soon as possible is a critical step in keeping them safe from further abuse. The Domestic Violence Task force recognized the severity of the issue, and began making steps towards improving the government’s ability to help those who were suffering through Domestic Violence situations.
What Developments Were Made
Recognizing this critical gap, the Task Force initiated targeted interventions to alleviate the spike in pending cases and protect survivors. With leadership from County Attorney Delia Garza, Travis County reallocated staff and funding, especially toward protective order and domestic violence divisions, to process applications more quickly As a result, the average wait time for a protective order was cut by more than half, significantly reducing delays in legal protection.
They also launched a redesigned online platform that simplified the filing process with mobile friendly features and security precautions to protect victims. The website recognizes the sensitivity of domestic violence situations, and the potential for an abuser to find out a victim is seeking help. In order to combat this, the website explicitly warns users that if their abuser has the ability to access their internet browsing history, they need to clear their history. Along with this, the website has an extremely accessible exit feature, to allow potential victims to close out of the site quickly, if their abuser would be about to look at their screen.
As a stopgap measure for pandemic-related disruption, these upgrades allowed petitioners to bypass in-person visits, protecting both public health and personal safety. Beyond immediate relief, Travis County has announced plans to launch its first-ever Family Justice Center, a centralized hub for survivors to access legal, counseling, and victim services in a single location.
“I think soon we’ll be able to open Travis County’s first family justice center,” Task Force Chair Kirsha Haverlah said. “It will be a one-stop shop for people seeking protective orders.”
Another focus of the task force is to make sure weapons could not get into the hands of perpetrators of domestic violence. The task force began a weapon forfeiture program, forcing alleged perpetrators of domestic violence to give up their weapons. According to the County attorney, the system has kept “over 1,000 weapons out of the hands of abusers and those who pose a threat to our community,”
Other, more niche reforms were made by the domestic violence task force, including the hosting of special training for the beauty industry. According to Haverlah, the beauty industry often becomes unintentionally wrapped up in domestic violence cases, as victims often use their hairdressers or beauticians as therapists. Because people working in the beauty industry have a high likelihood of hearing about a potential Domestic Abuse issue, the special training by the Domestic Violence task force aims to teach these beauticians and barbers how to properly respond to a customer’s unhealthy relationship.
Additional Resources
Travis County Domestic Violence Website – The new Website, specifically for domestic violence victims in Travis county.
Domestic violence task force reports milestones – The Original Article, discussing Task Force Chair Kirsha Haverlah and County Attorney Delia Garza’s report, and the milestones made for domestic violence and Travis County.
Task force aims to Protect Domestic Violence Victims – A more recent article discussing the developments that were made in Austin’s domestic violence task force.
Hire a Domestic Violence Attorney in Austin, Texas
If you or a loved one has been charged with a Domestic Violence offense in Austin or Travis County, it is important to hire a criminal defense attorney immediately. The Law Office of Kevin Bennett can provide the legal assistance you need to ensure your case is in the right hands, and you will be getting the best representation that you deserve.
Call (512-476-4626) to request a free consultation.
