In the last 10 days, Bakersfield has been the site of two high-profile attacks: In one, a man and a woman were stabbed in a Starbucks; a few days later, another man gunned down his ex-wife and four other people in east Bakersfield before turning the gun on himself. On their face, these two crimes don’t have a lot in common; but at the root of both was domestic violence, which in 2017 was responsible for almost 7,000 calls for help in Kern County alone.
Domestic violence is one of the priorities of Kern County District Attorney Lisa Green, who along with other law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations in January opened the Family Justice Center in Bakersfield. The Center offers crisis counseling, advocacy, legal assistance and other free services to people affected by domestic violence and other kinds of abuse. Listen to the audio for an interview with District Attorney Green, who speaks about the Family Justice Center and the landscape of domestic violence in Kern County.
If you or someone you know needs help: The Family Justice Center is located at 2101 Oak Street in Bakersfield. You can walk right in or call their 24-hour hotline at 1-800-273-7713. Beyond Bakersfield, there’s a National Sexual Assault hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE, and you can always call 9-1-1.