GOSHEN – A new law adopted as part of the state budget requires mandatory arrests in cases of domestic violence.
State Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall) sponsored the legislation that sends “a strong signal that violence has no place in our homes and that victims will be supported when they come forward,” he said on Friday.
Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier, executive director of Fearless!, the Hudson Valley’s domestic violence advocacy group, lauded the change in the law.
“Mandatory arrest is a piece of a coordinated community response. It is critical because we made a decision many, many years ago that domestic violence is a crime and should be treated as such,” she said.
Goshen Village Police Chief James Watt said the legislation “will allow police officers to effectively intervene in the cycle of domestic violence and will help protect and empower victims.”
