October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For more than twenty years two Williamsburg marches converge on the NYPD 90th Precinct to hold a candlelight vigil to give voice to those surviving domestic violence and to honor those who lost their lives to it.
One march begins east of the precinct, at 140 Johnson Avenue, an apartment building named after Emma Feliciano. “A mother, daughter, friend, community activist, and social worker. She fought for decent homes, a safe community for her family, her neighbors, and for those with special needs. She lost her life on September 2, 2000, at the hands of her abusive husband. She worked for St. Nicks Alliance, who named the building after her and honored her memory with a plaque in the lobby. St. Nicks Alliance leads this leg of the march along with The North Brooklyn Coalition Against Family Violence (the Coalition) as Emma is one of the inspirations for this annual event.
The other march begins west of the precinct and is led by Southside United HDFC – Los Sures and the Coalition.
Leana Pardo, executive director of the Coalition, was one of the first to speak and she told her personal story of surviving a cycle of domestic violence. Afterwards she said, “Thank everyone for coming and supporting people like me. It’s because of these programs that I made it, that I’m safe, that I’m alive. I went to go get help with therapy, and I was able to get out of very abusive relationships. Now I am healing with the help of other organizations.”
NYC Council District 34 has a history of fighting injustice. NYC Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez arrived at the vigil and said, “At the [NYC] Council we are fighting to ensure that we provide real options for victims. That means cash assistance, real money in your pocket. So if you are experiencing fear you have money in your pocket to get a metro card and to get out. Because we know that poverty is the reason people stay in these harmful relationships,” said NYC Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez.
Hoping to empower those in need of help, NYPD 90th Precinct Captain Joseph J. Wernersbach said, “I tell my officers domestic violence is a priority. Tell your friends; tell your family we have some of the best domestic violence prevention officers in the city. … and we have Safe Horizons social workers built into the precinct. You come to the 90th precinct it will be done the right way, with sympathy and compassion and we will exhaust all resources until you’re safe.”
To reach NYPD 90th Precinct’s Domestic Violence Officer call: (718) 963-5321 or email: 90pctdvo@nypd.org
To contact North Brooklyn Coalition Against Family Violence for help call: 718-302-4073
The Greenline 