The number of calls related to domestic problems and domestic violence has been up recently. While it’s impossible to name the exclusive reason to that, isolation due to the pandemic, lack of social activities along with economic challenges and stress they are causing are definitely among the main candidates.
The Mercury talked to Estevan Deputy Chief Murray Cowan about what kind of situation they’ve been dealing with lately.
“A lot of that is due to not only just self-isolation that we see in the news all the time, but it’s more the fact that the socialization aspect … is limited, and people don’t go out as much and should stay home,” said Cowan. “When it comes to those things it’s not always berries, of course. A lot of times people are just having disagreements and arguments.”
The Estevan Police Service (EPS), along with other police services across the province and across the country, started noticing the increase in the number of so-called ‘domestics’ about a month ago. Cowan said that there is a strong network between services across the country, so ever since that tendency started, they’ve been staying in touch with others to find the best ways to assist their communities during these difficult times.
“Members will always try to mediate those situations. Of course, we have to remember that domestic violence or intimate partner violence is something that we have no tolerance for, we are mandated to take zero-tolerance against that, so of course, if there is any violence we certainly have to and we will act on it,” said Cowan.
Police usually see an increase in domestic problems at the end of winter or beginning of spring, when people start getting tired of each other after being cooped up inside due to bad weather. The current situation is, to a point, similar to this usual tendency however it has more pitfalls.
In most cases, periods of cooling off, suggested by police members, help people to get through their argument and resolve the problem on their own. But officers are not counsellors, and if the problem is deeper they often cannot provide the support people are seeking.
“Usually we just try to solve the problem at the time, and that doesn’t always mean solving what issues are causing the argument and whatnot. Most times, it relates to a cooling-off period when we want to prevent things from getting worse,” said Cowan.
Sometimes officers ask one of the participants of the argument to leave for some time, depending on the situation. Often that’s enough, but sometimes the underlying problems require further support and assistance.
“If it’s more than that then officers do and will offer other professional services such as counselling or in some cases if kids are involved, they may involve social services or partnering agencies,” said Cowan. “Our focus isn’t to always just enforce laws, police are community people, and we are problem-solvers as well and certainly we want to solve the issue or try to help to solve the issue because if you don’t more often than not we get called back again.”
The new call may come in on the same night, or next week, but if the problem isn’t resolved there are always high chances of new calls and even bigger problems. Cowan noted that sometimes people that are looking for a solution to their problem get mixed and expect police officers to find that solution for them. However, in many cases, officers can only help by sending them in the right direction.
Nowadays, when many people are spending unusually long periods of time with their children and spouses, there are even higher chances that the situation may get out of control. Cowan said that if that’s the case, the first thing people should try is stepping aside, allowing each other room to breathe.
If people feel unsafe in a particular situation and they have an option to leave the residence, they should. If they can’t, they should try calling or signalling for help. There are also other organizations people should reach out to before things get out of hand, such as Envision Counselling and Support Centre or mental health services at the hospital.
“We always encourage people to follow up with those things, because it’s a preventative measure,” said Cowan.
“In certain households it’s not normal that we spend every minute with our family or our spouse, so when we start to spend more times than what we normally would, sometimes frustrations can build. So we have to be able to recognize that and when you start to feel those frustrations, give yourself a time-out. If it means going for a walk, going to the yard, going in a different room or out to the garage … and just give yourself that time away.”
Cowan encouraged people who feel the irritation and frustration building up to seek that self-time and acknowledge the need for it before it turns into a major problem requiring the police intervention.
