ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — Members of the community came out to the Ector County Courthouse on Oct. 4 to kick of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Crisis Center of West Texas and Safe Place of the Permian Basin were on hand, as well as community leaders like OPD Chief Mike Gerke, Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis and State Rep. Brooks Landgraf.
NewsWest 9's own Victor Lopez was there to speak as well.
Domestica Violence Awareness Month is dedicated to the victims as well as helping those who might be struggling.
One in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner.
In Odessa alone, there were just over 12,000 victims of domestic violence last year.
"At Crisis Center of West Texas, our mission is to end domestic violence and sexual assault in West Texas. Domestic violence is not only a local problem, it is a state problem," said Lorie Dunnam, Executive Directer of the Crisis Center.
Odessa Police shared a diagram of tactics abusers often use to keep victims in relationships.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence and needs help, you can contact the following organizations:
- Safe Place Permian Basin: 1-800-967-8928 or 432-570-1465
- Crisis Center of West Texas: 1-866-627-4747