State Attorney General Roy Cooper says he's concerned about an increase in domestic violence deaths in North Carolina last year.
State law requires police agencies to report domestic violence deaths to the SBI. Cooper says the 122 deaths last year are 16 more than in 2011. He called the increase "disturbing" and urged the state to do more to stop these crimes before they happen. Wake County had the highest number of domestic violence deaths at 11, followed by Mecklenburg and Guilford counties with eight and six respectively.
Cooper says the public can help diffuse potentially dangerous or deadly domestic confrontations. "Law enforcement officers know how much damage domestic violence does to families in their communities," he said in a news release. "Responding quickly when abusers violate protective orders can help save lives."
Cooper says legislation could help curb domestic abuse. House Bill 559 would have local schools create policies on dating violence and add information on recognizing abuse to public school health classes.
