Amarillo’s Domestic Violence Cases Are Rising, But Many Remain Unreported.

By Zackary Mossbrooks, masams@ttu.edu

Domestic violence cases have been rising in Amarillo in recent years.

Law enforcement and victim advocacy groups are seeing more reports of abuse, raising concerns about the factors driving the increase and whether victim support services are keeping up with demand.

"We’re seeing a steady rise in domestic violence cases, and it’s concerning," said Susy Valencia, Victim Assistance Program Coordinator at the Amarillo Police Department. The challenge is that many incidents go unreported. 

According to police data, domestic violence in Amarillo is nearly three times higher than the state average. In 2022 alone, APD’s domestic violence unit was assigned 3,489 cases, but only 355 of those cases resulted in arrests.

In Texas, the prevalence of domestic violence is alarmingly high. Approximately one in three  Texans will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.  In 2018, there were 212,885 victims of family violence in Texas, with 71.6% being female.

The severity of domestic violence incidents is also a significant concern. In 2018, 174 women in Texas were killed by intimate partner violence, translating to a rate of 1.6 per 100,000 females.  Firearms were used in 63% of the cases where women were killed by men.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation. A recent meta-analysis showed that domestic violence incidents increased by 8.1% after jurisdictions imposed pandemic-related lockdown orders.

Despite these alarming statistics, resources for victims remain limited. In Texas, 48% of those seeking assistance in the form of shelter were denied help due to lack of space, representing an increase of 28% over the prior year. On a single day in a recent year, domestic violence shelters throughout Texas served nearly 6,000 victims and fielded more than 1,500 emergency calls, with 948 requests for help going unmet due to inadequate resources.

In Amarillo, efforts are being made to address the issue. The Domestic Violence Unit investigates all cases of domestic violence in the city, including aggravated assaults, kidnappings, assaults with bodily injury, stalking, and harassment cases involving family members, romantic partners, and roommates. Additionally, organizations like Family Support Services of Amarillo offer emergency shelters and support services to victims.

Addressing domestic violence requires a comprehensive approach involving law enforcement, support services, and community awareness. Recognizing the signs of abuse and understanding the resources available are crucial steps toward reducing the prevalence of domestic violence in Amarillo and across Texas.

"I think it's just— they’re used to old patterns," said Valencia, the Victim Assistance Program Coordinator. "A lot of times, when you come from a home that's broken already, it just makes it a lot easier to fall into those things."

Domestic violence  doesn’t discriminate by income level. Some might assume abuse is more common in low-income areas, but Valencia says that’s not the case.

"You’ve seen people that are rich, and there's domestic violence, and you see people that are very poor," she said. "It's just how domestic violence is. It's just a horrible cycle."

While efforts are being made to address the growing issue, domestic violence remains a persistent problem in Amarillo and across Texas. The rising number of cases suggests that more needs to be done, both in prevention and in providing support for victims. Without increased funding for shelters, law enforcement training, and public awareness campaigns, the problem is unlikely to improve.