On Nov. 1, 2023, the Kent Police Department entered into a partnership with Project Be Free, which provides critical resources to victims of domestic violence.
Project Be Free also offers the unique service of quickly responding to scenes of domestic violence, 24/7, after receiving a call from an Officer at a DV incident.
In addition to this Police Officer-initiated crisis response service, they provide DV advocacy, support groups, DV counseling, youth mentorship and training.
Project Be Free’s Mission Statement:
“To provide crisis response to individuals affected by Domestic Violence. We utilize partnerships within our community that allow support and navigation of mental health needs to increase advocacy and promote individual wellbeing.”
“This is an amazing resource for our Officers who often find themselves in the situation where they have arrested the abuser, but the victim and their family need resources right now,” police said. “Often ‘right now’ is after most agencies are closed.”
They also provide a variety of domestic violence services that don’t need to be initiated by police.
Impacts of this service in the past two months:
- Total Call Outs, (responses to active DV call @ Police request): 106
- Orders of Protection obtained for victims: 34
- Mental Health connections/referrals: 20
- Youth services referrals: 10
- Families housed in long term housing: 4
Here’s a testimonial about the program:
To learn more about Project Be Free: https://project-be-free.com/
To talk to someone at Project Be Free, call 425-324-5030.
Are you in danger or experiencing a domestic violence incident right now? CALL 911.
