Release #540-98

Contact: Colleen Roche/Samantha Lugo (212) 788-2958

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today honored three outstanding New Yorkers for their efforts to combat family violence. The recipients of the Mayor's second "Outstanding Leadership in Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence Awards" were Carrie Epstein, Domestic Violence Coordinator at Jacobi Hospital; Maria Imperial, Executive Director of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York Fund, Inc. and Police Officer Diane Taylor.

Joining the Mayor were Anthony Coles, Senior Advisor to the Mayor; Maria Mitchell, Chair of the Mayor's Commission to Combat Family Violence; Rhea Mallet, Executive Director of the Mayor's Commission to Combat Family Violence and Amalia Betanzos, Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women.

"I am proud of each of these New Yorkers for their strong commitment in, the battle against domestic violence," said Mayor Giuliani. "Family violence is a serious crime, one we are committed to expose and combat vigorously. Their efforts, and the efforts of so many others, will help us break the vicious cycle of domestic violence and bring hope to thousands of New Yorkers who do not feel safe at home.

" Their examples are building the road to awareness and recovery for many New Yorkers. There much left to be done but we are taking the right steps and seeing positive results in the lives of women and children who can once again live productive and safe lives," concluded the Mayor.

The "Outstanding Leadership in Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence Awards" honor New Yorkers who have made exceptional contributions to the City's strategy in breaking the cycle of domestic violence. Focusing this year on teen relationship abuse, these citizens, along with the Mayor's Commission to Combat Family Violence, have made great strides in assisting battered women and children in New York City.

This year's recipients have been an integral part of that effort:

Carrie Epstein, Domestic Violence Coordinator at Jacobi Medical Center is responsible for the development, administration, management and supervision of the Domestic Violence and Teen Relationship Abuse Program at Jacobi. Since training in domestic violence became mandatory for all hospital employees in June 1998, Ms. Epstein has trained nearly 3,000 employees in both domestic violence and teenage relationship abuse.

Maria Imperial is the Executive Director of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York Fund, Inc. which provides legal services to those who cannot afford such assistance through direct representation, advice, referrals and self-help clinics. Previously, Ms. Imperial was General Counsel and Associate Director of Victim Services, where she created the Domestic Violence Law Project, providing legal services for victims seeking protection in family and criminal court. She was instrumental in the development and production of a "Curriculum For Training Service Providers Working With Teen Victims of Relationship Abuse", the curriculum used to train thousands of city employees in the past year.

Police Officer Diane Taylor, a 15-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, was assigned to work on domestic violence cases in the 113th precinct in 1990. She now leads a Domestic Violence Unit with three full-time police officers, two victim services counselors, two senior services work aides and one police cadet. One of the original Domestic Violence Prevention Officers, Officer Taylor was instrumental in training other officers when the Department's Domestic Violence Prevention Program was initiated citywide.

Among the Giuliani administration's achievements in the fight against domestic violence are:

• A comprehensive Police Department strategy to break the cycle of domestic violence including dedicated domestic violence officers and investigators in each precinct, a computer tracking system and an intensive, ongoing training program to ensure adherence to the New York Police Department's (NYPD) pro-arrest policy for domestic violence related crimes.

• A domestic violence protocol for every municipal health care facility including dedicated domestic violence coordinators in each facility, training for all hospital staff, and the collection of data for a joint Health & Hospitals Corporation (HHC)/ Department of Health (DOH) Domestic Violence Surveillance Program.

• Trained counselors from Victim Services are available around the clock on the City's first 24-hour, multi-lingual, dedicated Domestic Violence Hotline to offer emergency counseling and referrals to all New Yorkers, including people who are hearing-impaired.

• The Citywide Domestic Violence Public Education Campaign has been widely displayed on posters throughout the City's transportation system, and public service announcements have been aired on radio.

• By 1997, shelter bed capacity under the Giuliani Administration will have increased by 40%, while innovative alternatives to domestic violence shelters, like the Alternative to Shelter Pilot, have offered victims of violence new safety options.

• Project L.I.F.E. (Legal Initiative for Freedom and Empowerment) has increased victim access to free, trusted legal services through a partnership with 17 private law firms.