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ALBANY, N.Y. — A new bill in the New York State Senate could give survivors of domestic violence with more time to press charges and change how police handle family offenses.

The proposed Phoenix Act aims to extend the statute of limitations to ten years for felonies and five years for misdemeanors.

If passed, the bill would also require police to complete trauma-informed training and address racial disparities in their response to domestic violence cases.

In the City of Rochester, the number of domestic violence cases is double the statewide average. Because of that, there is a coordinated effort underway to try and better centralize the resources available for survivors.   

Using a $2.3 million grant provided by New York State, the Rochester Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Willow Domestic Violence Center, and several other community partners have launched a program called STRIVE.  STRIVE stands for Statewide Targeted Reductions in Intimate Partner Violence. 

Starting later this month, all RPD officers who respond to a domestic violence call will ask the victim to complete an 11-question risk assessment. Those results will be immediately transferred to a STRIVE outreach team.

READ MORE: ‘Strive’ program aims to tackle Rochester’s high domestic violence rates with comprehensive support

For Related Stories: Phoenix Act  domestic violence