Domestic violence arrests in Orange County leaped 431% over the last decade--the biggest jump among California's major counties--and now account for more than half of all felony assault cases handled by police, according to a review of state records.
The surge marks a dramatic turnaround for law enforcement agencies once accused of ignoring the problem. It also has led to an even larger increase in prosecutions. In 1989, the Orange County district attorney's office filed four felony domestic assault charges. Last year, it filed 2,316.
Propelling the change are increased public awareness about domestic violence, tougher laws and better training for police officers who once dismissed fights between couples as a "family matter."
Today, authorities make more arrests for domestic assaults than for homicides, rapes, robberies and kidnappings combined, a Times analysis of California Justice Department statistics found.
In the process, police and prosecutors have struggled to understand the complexities of domestic disputes, which often involve fierce family loyalties and victims unwilling to confront their attackers.
Experts said the numbers do not indicate whether incidents have increased, although the analysis shows that 911 calls reporting domestic assaults fell about 20% statewide over the last five years.
Yet despite the rise in arrests, those who work with domestic abuse victims said authorities still have improvements to make. Some argue that police departments need to pair their get-tough approach with more counseling for both abusers and victims. Others remain concerned that Orange County's felony arrest rates continue to lag behind those of many other counties.
Of the state's 15 most populous counties, Orange County ranked last in domestic violence arrest rates a decade ago when compared to total 911 calls about domestic abuse, according to crime figures. Now the county ranks ninth--behind neighboring Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
"I do believe that the victims are being treated better, that the officers are treating domestic violence more seriously," said Shirley Gellatly of Human Options, an Orange County-based organization that offers shelter and counseling to battered women. "We were very far down (in the 1980's), and I think that we've made some great strides, but I don't think we're terrific yet."
