Gloucester Police Department Establishes Batterers Intervention Program

For Immediate Release

Monday, Sept. 14, 2015

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Gloucester Police Department Establishes Batterers Intervention Program

GLOUCESTER — Police Chief Leonard Campanello reports that Gloucester has implemented a certified Batterers Intervention Program for court-ordered and self-referred perpetrators of domestic violence.

“No community is a stranger to domestic violence,” Chief Campanello said. “We are offering this program close to home so that batterers can take responsibility for their behavior, self assess their actions, and educate themselves on how violence is never the answer.”

The goal of the program is to work toward stopping domestic violence by providing education for batterers. Eliot Community Human Services runs each 40-week batterers’ course. The next closest programs are in Lynn and Methuen, in Essex County.

As part of the program, officials work to hold abusers accountable for their actions and to teach them how to implement nonviolent behavior toward family members and significant others.

“We see this as one of the tools that we can use to turn batterers around, rather than putting them through the process of prosecution,” said Gloucester’s Domestic Violence Officer Ronald Piscatello. “By recognizing and taking responsibility for their actions, we’re hopeful abusers will learn healthy alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”

The program began in late August, and currently has 14 participants who will meet every Monday from 6-8 p.m. at Gloucester District Court for the next 40 weeks. Those who wish to participate but haven’t enrolled yet may sign up at any time through the Gloucester Police Department or the Probation Department at the Gloucester District Court. Once the first session is completed, police expect another to begin.

For more information on these types of programs or for information on how to implement one in your community, contact the Department of Public Health at 617-624-5497.

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