Crime & Domestic Violence

By Kenneth J. Thomas

We need to rid our neighborhoods & schools of violence, crime, and drugs. Individual involvement and partnerships with neighborhood police are the key. Domestic violence shatters homes and must be dealt with. Shelters for victims are not adequate.

Q. How can we combat crime in our neighborhoods?

A. We need to rid our neighborhoods and schools of violence, crime, and drugs. First of all, it means we individuals must become involved and work as partners with law enforcement agencies. In my neighborhood, we got great results working with a duo of community police officers and an organized Block Watch. The key is police presence. There should be staffing to provide designated police officers for neighborhoods in urban and suburban areas, in addition to regular police patrols and investigation squads. County sheriffs' deputies should be known by name and face in rural areas. Minors have no legitimate need for handguns, so we need to get those weapons away from juveniles. In addition, we have to get tough with gangs, career hoodlums and violent criminals, especially those that prey on young children and the elderly.

Q. Do you favor mandatory sentencing laws for violent and repeat offenders? Truth-in- sentencing laws that abolish parole and require prisoners to serve no less than 85% of their sentences? How about juvenile justice reform to require that violent and chronic juvenile offenders be treated as adults?

A. Yes to all three. However, keep in mind that this will probably increase the state prison population. The cost of carrying out these programs and incarcerating those found guilty will quite likely require more funding. Although we all dislike tax increases, if it comes to a choice, I will always favor lower crime over lower taxes. Still, there may be ways to recover such costs from the proceeds of criminal activities. Another thing to remember is that if proper staffing and funding for education, child protective services, and other state programs is accomplished, we will also eventually see a reduction in prison population.

Q. Do you favor requiring parole boards to notify the victims of violent criminals of pending hearings at least ninety days in advance?

A. Yes. The voice of victims and their families must be listened to, every time a convict is considered for parole. No crime victim should encounter their assailant unexpectedly in public.

Domestic Violence

Q. Do you support funding to provide safety for battered women and their children?

A. Yes. Currently, domestic violence shelters and safe homes are not able to provide services to all the women and children requesting services. The need for increased services in Arizona is urgent and vital. My family once had a disturbing direct experience with this problem when a woman and her children sought refuge in our home during the night while her drunken and angry husband cruised the streets looking for them. We were only acquaintances, yet the overwhelming need to help them compelled us to open our home to them. The availability of shelters and assistance for battered women and their children suddenly became a real-life problem.

Q. Do you support a change in the law to include dating relationships in the domestic violence law?

A. No. Domestic violence is a cruel destruction of the faith and trust which people normally place within their family home life. Violent attacks within a dating relationship are also serious crimes, but should be dealt with separately. To me, there is a major difference between a dating couple and a family. Violence within a family home is so horrendous and destructive, it must be addressed by special laws.

Q. Do you support a change in the law to include same-sex relationships in the domestic violence law?

A. No. I recognize that gay or lesbian partners may also suffer from violent relationships, but my support for domestic violence programs is based upon the need to rebuild the lives of those victims of shattered & violent family environments. Law enforcement officials must be as equally diligent when investigating and prosecuting violent attacks on a gay or lesbian person as when they deal with an attack upon others. But domestic violence laws would not be appropriate in these cases.

Q. Do you support legislation to prohibit property and casualty insurance companies from using domestic violence as a reason to deny coverage or deny payment of claims?

A. Yes. Victims of domestic violence are sometimes denied insurance claims or coverage because insurance companies categorize the violence as a "pre-existing condition" or risk factor.

Q. Do you support legislation to expand provisions for public record confidentiality for domestic violence victims?

A. Yes. Abusers often use public documents such as driver's licenses, school records, etc. to locate and continue to terrorize their victims. This makes achieving a self-sufficient, violence-free life impossible for many women.

Q. Do you support legislation that limits unsupervised visitation access in cases where there has been documented domestic violence?

A. Yes. Although we must ensure the protection of victims of domestic violence, care must be taken so that the false allegation of battering is not easily used as a method to influence custody or divorce decisions by the court. My preference is early intervention by Child Protective Services, police, and other social agencies to end domestic violence and to build up healthy families.