-Editorial
Service providers and law enforcement officers gathered Wednesday at the Old Eucalyptus Schoolhouse for the End Intimate Partner Violence Conference, a day-long event focused on education, collaboration, and best practices for addressing intimate partner violence.
The event was organized by Donnelly Community Services Center, led by CEO and Founder Rosa Diaz, with support from the LGBTQ Initiative within Equality California. Diaz emphasized the importance of bringing together agencies that work with both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.
“The main focus was to bring law enforcement and organizations that work with victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence so that we can have that conversation,” Diaz said. “I think so far it’s been going well. We’ve heard from the district attorney’s office, from the CHP, and we’re going to hear from the sheriff’s office, as well as several community-based organizations. This conversation needs to happen because we don’t know what challenges they face, what it is that they do, and we want them to know what we do as well.”
Diaz highlighted the need for continuous dialogue between agencies to improve services and intervention efforts. “This conversation has to be had continuously so that we can better provide services to both victims and perpetrators and do some kind of intervention, which is very much needed,” she said.
“The main change to the Donnelly Center does not take away from the services we provide to the LGBTQ community,” she said. “That’s why we’re having this conference—because it’s about learning about domestic violence and intimate partner violence in diverse relationships. We want to collaborate even more with other organizations so that they know we need to learn from one another, but also that our main purpose is still to help the diverse community of Imperial County.”
Understanding the complexities of domestic violence cases and ensuring victims feel supported is a priority for the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office. During her presentation, Deputy District Attorney Kia Harris discussed the importance of training law enforcement officers to approach these cases with empathy and trauma-informed techniques.
“The viewpoint I came from in creating my PowerPoint was to show everyone in the room, from their different groups, what we as prosecutors are looking for in cases and the training we receive,” Harris explained. “If first responders can help victims understand the system before they come to us, it might make the process less intimidating.”
Harris emphasized that victims often feel lost in the legal system, assuming they will receive immediate and individualized attention. However, the reality is that the system is vast and can feel impersonal.
“When victims don’t understand how the process works, they sometimes interpret delays as a lack of care,” Harris said. “By educating law enforcement officers on how to explain the system early on, victims may feel more heard and be more receptive to participating in the process.”
To ensure law enforcement officers are well-equipped, the DA’s office provides regular training sessions during officer lineups across all agencies, including the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO), California Highway Patrol (CHP), and local police departments. These trainings occur every month to reach recruits and reinforce best practices through repetition.
“In our training, we teach officers to be trauma-informed,” Harris said. “Officers have a different goal at a crime scene than victims. A victim wants help—they just want someone to listen. However, an officer is focused on collecting evidence. These competing interests can sometimes create challenges that lead to evidentiary issues later on.”
One of the key lessons Harris and her team emphasize is how to properly interview victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
“We teach officers to let victims talk first,” Harris explained. “Instead of bombarding them with questions, let them share their story at their own pace. Then, go back and clarify the details. This approach helps victims process their trauma and provide a clearer, more chronological account.”
Harris also stressed the importance of specialized techniques for interviewing children, who may be reluctant to speak about abuse.
“Children instinctively know not to talk about what happens at home. We teach officers how to approach them gently—sit on the floor with them, use a calm voice, and start with general questions before easing into the difficult topics,” she said.
Officers are trained to avoid leading questions and instead use open-ended prompts like, ‘Are you upset about what happened today?’ or ‘Why are you scared for your mom?’ This approach builds trust and allows children to share information at their own pace.
Harris noted that Imperial County’s law enforcement officers have been open to learning new techniques, which has led to noticeable improvements in investigations.
“The officers here at every police department have been so receptive to what we’re teaching,” she said. “That hasn’t always been my experience in other counties, where officers sometimes feel they have nothing new to learn.”
These changes are reflected in improved police reports, better evidence collection, and fewer complaints from victims about how their cases are handled. Stronger investigations have also allowed prosecutors to secure harsher sentences for offenders.
Additionally, Harris praised the Victim Witness Assistance Program in Imperial County, calling it the best she has worked with across multiple jurisdictions.
“They’re working with a skeletal staff, yet they’re so professional, detail-oriented, and on top of everything,” she said. “Their work makes a huge difference for both victims and prosecutors.”
Harris acknowledged that handling domestic violence cases takes a toll on everyone involved, from law enforcement to prosecutors to victim advocates.
“This work can be emotionally draining, and we experience secondary trauma,” she said. “But having a strong, supportive community within the DA’s office and the Victim Witness Program helps us continue fighting for justice.”
While no system is perfect, the ongoing training efforts in Imperial County demonstrate a commitment to improving the response to domestic violence and ensuring that victims receive the compassion and support they deserve.
Johanna Ramirez, Lead Advocate, of the Sure Helpline Crisis Center, emphasized the need for awareness, prevention, and strong community support.
“I share this everywhere I go—sexual assault and domestic violence do not discriminate,” Ramirez said. “It can happen to anyone at any moment in our lives. For that reason, we need to be informed and prepared.”
Sure Helpline Crisis Center, which serves Imperial County, focuses on providing intervention and prevention services to support victims of sexual and domestic violence. The organization’s mission is to improve the quality of life for survivors while raising awareness to prevent future incidents.
“Our goal is to enhance society’s response to sexual violence by working closely with the community,” Ramirez said. “We offer expert services in a wide range of areas, including free, confidential crisis intervention, information, and support services to everyone in the Imperial Valley, regardless of age, sex, religion, nationality, or disability.”
One of the key services offered by Sure Helpline is accompaniment for victims. This includes support at court hearings and forensic medical exams, ensuring survivors are not alone during some of the most difficult moments in their lives.
“If anybody in the community reports a rape or sexual assault, we have a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) that provides immediate assistance,” Ramirez explained. “They are available on our crisis line after hours, on weekends, and even on holidays. A team member will notify staff on call when an exam needs to be conducted.”
These forensic exams take place at Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley, conducted by trained nurses such as Carol Rodriguez and Nora (last name not provided). The examinations include a thorough questionnaire and require the victim’s consent. Depending on the circumstances, the process can take anywhere from one to six hours.
“During that time, it is crucial that the victim feels supported,” Ramirez stressed. “Advocates are there to remind them that they are not alone, especially when they feel like their world has collapsed and there is no way forward. That is why we advocate for survivors through intervention with agencies and individuals.”
Sure Helpline works to ensure that survivors receive immediate and ongoing support. Ramirez explained that when a victim reaches out, she ensures they are connected to the right resources.
“When you receive a call from our office, it’s because I want to make sure the client gets connected right away,” she said. “The last thing on their mind is going home with a stack of documents and remembering who they need to call. If we can be of assistance, even with just a simple phone call, we will do it.”
The center operates a 24/7 crisis intervention hotline and provides referrals to other support services. Ramirez emphasized the importance of collaboration with other agencies, including the district attorney’s office, victim advocates, and law enforcement, to ensure survivors receive comprehensive assistance.
Beyond crisis intervention, Sure Helpline is committed to prevention and education, especially for children. Ramirez highlighted the importance of teaching young people about safety, consent, and available resources.
“We need to focus on educating our children,” she said. “Our community must recognize how valuable it is for a child to be informed, to know they are supported, and to not be afraid to seek help.”
With children spending seven to eight hours a day in school, Ramirez believes education must be a shared responsibility between families, schools, and advocacy groups.
“It starts at home, but we can also be part of that change by ensuring children receive proper education and information at school,” she said.
Sure Helpline Crisis Center continues to stand as a vital resource for victims of domestic and sexual violence, offering a lifeline of support to those in need. Community members are encouraged to reach out, volunteer, or help spread awareness about the services available.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) Captain Ernesto Ruelas addressed the complexities of law enforcement response to domestic violence incidents, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between agencies and the resources available to officers on the ground.
Ruelas acknowledged that while CHP primarily handles freeway-related incidents, cases involving domestic violence often require coordination with county law enforcement agencies.
“If anything happens on a county road, depending on what it is, we’re going to have our partners in the sheriff’s office step in,” Ruelas said. “These guys do an amazing job, and we work great with them. They have more expertise in dealing with these types of cases because a general highway officer doesn’t deal with them all the time.”
Ruelas also highlighted the importance of proper training and resources for officers encountering domestic violence situations. He mentioned that CHP provides officers with domestic violence response packets to guide them through the legal and procedural aspects of handling such incidents.
“We have a domestic violence packet, and every officer carries one,” he explained. “It’s for those situations where we realize there’s more to the case, and we need to look deeper. There are a variety of things in there, and our sergeants are well-trained to handle these situations. They know what to expect and what to ask.”
The captain stressed that domestic violence laws apply equally, regardless of gender or relationship status.
“When we encounter any type of violence, we don’t differentiate between a traditional husband-and-wife relationship or male-male, female-female, or any other dynamic,” Ruelas said. “If they are cohabitants or in a relationship and domestic violence occurs, we investigate it the same way.”
He also emphasized that officers are trained to assess situations objectively and take the necessary legal steps.
“You look at a case, and sometimes one person is more aggressive, but if both parties are engaging in violence, then both should be arrested,” Ruelas noted. “It’s about following the law, not personal opinions.”
