KCPD social worker helps domestic violence victim get new start

A KCPD social service worker helped a domestic violence victim get a new start in a new city.

The woman first came into contact with police about seven months ago when she was a victim in a domestic violence assault at her apartment in south Kansas City. South Patrol Social Service Worker Tamara McIntosh offered to help the woman and her 14-year-old daughter relocate, but the woman found a different home on her own.

Her ex-boyfriend has been incarcerated since the assault. However, he was able to arrange from jail for a friend to set fire to the house the woman and her daughter had moved to. He believed they would be inside at the time the fire was set about 3 a.m. Aug. 26. The man had been calling the woman from jail and threatening her. Fortunately, because of those threatening phone calls, she and her daughter had gone to stay at a relative’s house. The house sustained significant damage in the fire.  

Prosecutors and police agreed the woman needed to leave Kansas City for her safety. Social Service Worker McIntosh went to work. She spoke with the woman about other places she may have friends or relatives that she and her daughter could go to. The woman named a city in another state. McIntosh then bought a train ticket for the woman and her daughter with her own money. (A community resource later refunded her.) She also got them a $200 Wal-Mart gift card to help them get established in their new home and replace some of their belongings. McIntosh further had the woman’s public housing voucher transferred to a residence in the new city. That home will be ready for them soon. In the meantime, McIntosh also arranged with a domestic violence shelter in the new city for the woman and her daughter to stay at until their permanent housing is available. That shelter also will assist the family in getting new furniture and help them transition to their new home.

KCPD has had social service workers assigned to each of the city’s six patrol divisions since early 2018. They assist in situations that are brought to the attention of law enforcement but require more resources than police can provide.

If you are in a domestic violence relationship in the Kansas City area, call 816-HOTLINE. This will connect you with a domestic violence service provider who can help you plan for your safety. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.