Bethlehem Police look to spread awareness of domestic violence | Bethlehem Area

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s a time to mourn victims, celebrate survivors, and unite advocates to end violence. 

69 News Reporter Sydney Kay gives us a look into the Bethlehem Police Department where officers are spreading awareness and learning to look out for signs. 

Some officers with the Bethlehem Police Department started their Monday differently, they were inside a classroom. 

The topic of discussion? A training program to support survivors of domestic abuse. 

“Domestic violence is, unfortunately, a large part of some of the issues that we deal with in the community,” said Capt. William Audelo with the Bethlehem Police Department. 

Teaming up with Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley, officers across multiple sessions are learning how to deescalate situations, how to communicate better, and look out for signs. 

“We are talking a lot about the power and control dynamics that often occur in an abusive situation,” said Panayiota Papadopoulos, a Training and Education Advocate with Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley. 

That control could be through finances or victims’ locations being tracked, but this program focuses on initiating conversations and ensuring supportive responses to survivors.

“Helping them recognize that it’s not as simple as asking, ‘Why don’t you just leave?’ Because it’s not that easy,” said Papadopoulos. 

“We might not know from a survivor’s or victim’s point of view that we’re either doing wrong or that we could do better,” said Capt. Audelo. 

This isn’t the first time for the program, but they say it’s a good reminder and refresher on new resources available, especially during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

“Talking about how sometimes trauma can really impact how a survivor responds in a situation,” she said. 

“It’s going to happen outside of October, so we need to be prepared, we need to train. We need to be able to provide the best response that we can,” added Capt. Audelo. 

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