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Thunderbolt News Nov. 20, 2015 5
http://www.luke.af.mil Facebook.com/LukeThunderbolt
Family advocacy, Glendale PD co-op earns honors
6WRU\DQGSKRWRE\$LUPDQVW&ODVV allow the victim and family members to live Debora Black, Glendale Police Department Chief of Police, Sgt. Patrick
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56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs “Having someone to walk them through the
legal process and let them know there really Boden, 56th MDOS commander, pose with an International Association of
The International Association of Chiefs of is a light at the end of the tunnel is essential,”
Police and the American Military University Raciti said. Chiefs of Police award Nov. 5 at the Glendale Family Advocacy Center. The
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Chicago to the Glendale Police Department Additionally, partnership with the GPD award was presented to both the GPD and the 56th MDOS Family Advocacy
and Luke Air Force Base Family Advocacy allows the FAC to more easily direct victims
Center for joint efforts in providing support through the process of obtaining restraining center in honor of joint efforts to support and protect victims of domestic
for victims of domestic abuse. and protection orders against aggressors.
violence and abuse.
The award, which was accepted by the “If the victim’s abuser continues to pursue
Glendale police and then handed to members WKHPWH[WWKHPFDOOWKHPRUWKUHDWHQRULQ-
of the Luke FAC in a second ceremony Nov. timidate them, there is protection police can
5, highlights the cooperation between the of- offer and we can help the victim get that.”
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$GYRFDF\&HQWHUDQGWKHRIÀFHRIWKH'RPHV- The cooperative efforts of the two advocacies
tic Abuse Victim Advocate here at Luke in DVGHÀQHGE\DPHPRUDQGXPRIXQGHUVWDQGLQJ
providing resources to care for and protect a formal agreement of partnership between Luke
military-related victims of domestic violence and the Glendale Police, is resulting in an effect
and abuse. UHDFKLQJIDUEH\RQGWKHORFDO3KRHQL[FRPPXQLW\
“Domestic violence is often seriously trau- “We are looking at creating a like MOU for
matizing and the end result can be deadly,” Air Force installations throughout the Air
said Capt. Sonja Raciti, 56th Medical Opera- Force who are interested in how Luke struc-
WLRQV6TXDGURQIDPLO\DGYRFDF\RIÀFHU´:H·YH tured theirs,” said David Thomas, senior advi-
seen so many victims who have passed away VRUIRUWKH6H[XDO$VVDXOW3UHYHQWLRQ5HVSRQVH
because they remained trapped in violent 2IÀFHDWWKH3HQWDJRQ
situations with their abusers and could not
ÀJXUHRXWKRZWRHVFDSHµ Air Force leaders are looking at what has
been accomplished through this partnership,
The Luke DAVA and Glendale Family Ad- according to Raciti.
vocacy Center are able to assist victims by
guiding them through legal procedures and “Our higher-ups are really looking at how we
providing them with resources such as shel- work with civilian law enforcement here and
ter, transportation and childcare in order to are acknowledging this is something we should
have Air Force-wide,” she said.
See HONOR, Page 7
