The recent homicide of Billings woman Shawna Hart that some say is connected to domestic violence is bringing out a lot of anger, frustration, and sadness in the community.
And it led to a Tuesday afternoon Billings City Council meeting dedicated to discussing ways to stop violence and help victims.
Watch city council domestic violence story here:
“It is terrifying, and you feel very isolated and alone,” Kyla Hailstone, Montana Family Court Awareness Project director, said about domestic violence victims. “It's very hard to find help. How do you hire an attorney? How do you get law enforcement to take you seriously?”
Hailstone helps survivors of domestic violence.
“We see legal abuse, coercive control,” Hailstone said. “We see character assassinations, stalking. There's just a whole litany of things that happen, and you will see these patterns long before it reaches physical violence.”
Hailstone has worked with several groups on proposing resolutions to curb domestic violence.
“I do think we need training for law enforcement so they can recognize these patterns right away and be reporting it so the courts are aware of it,” Hailstone said. “Legislatively, we are going to have to address the orders of protection.”
She says it's up to the Legislature to help in some areas, and a big role for the city is education and training to help protect victims.
“Please help ensure that there is trauma-informed training and education for anyone who could be on the phone or sending and receiving an email from a person experiencing trauma,” one woman said to the council during public comment.
The City Council held the special meeting after dozens of people demanded further discussion at a packed council chambers following Hart's death last month. Her estranged husband, Tanner Grove, was charged with deliberate homicide in the case. Prosecutors said he had been recently released from jail following a conviction for assaulting Hart before she was killed.
The council wants to study how victims are notified and what they're told after a defendant is released, the city attorney's office working with the county attorney's office, GPS tracking, and education and training.
“Each case is very serious, and every loss is devastating,” said Chief Rich St. John of the Billings Police Department. “Domestic violence homicide is rarely the result of a single point of failure.”
St. John says the problem is an under-resourced, fragmented system and unpredictable offenders.
Some on the council agree.
“This is a systemic issue that we have to try to address,” said Councilman Scott Aspenlieder. “It's not any one department. It's not any one division. It's not any one organization.”
“Thank you for having this meeting,” one woman said. “Education saves lives, and this is a huge start.”
