Prince George’s County’s Renewed Fight Against Domestic Violence

By Raoul Dennis

For more than two decades, Prince George’s County has fought to reduce domestic violence, building a network of nonprofits, law enforcement partners, and community advocates determined to protect families. The effort has seen measurable progress: since the early 2000s, county data shows a gradual increase in reporting rates—an indicator that more victims feel safe stepping forward—and steady growth in the availability of emergency shelter beds, legal assistance, and counseling services. The introduction of the Family Justice Center in 2016 further strengthened the county’s safety net, offering survivors a central hub for help, from protective orders to trauma counseling.

Yet, despite two decades of sustained work, the crisis remains severe. In 2024, nearly 20 percent of all homicides in Prince George’s County were domestic violence-related, according to PGPD. Behind each statistic is a family shattered, a community grieving, and a glaring reminder that progress, while real, has not been enough to save every life.

**Prince George’s County Councilmember Wanika Fisher (D-Dist. 2)**

It is against this backdrop that Prince George’s County Council Member Wanika Fisher stepped forward with a resolution to establish a new Domestic Violence Workgroup, an initiative she describes as a necessary step toward addressing gaps that long-needed a coordinated response. The announcement came during a packed press conference on the final day of the 2025 legislative session, where Fisher was joined by Dr. Denise McCain of the Prince George’s County Family Justice Center and other community leaders—including a family friend of young domestic-violence victim, Dacara Thompson, whose story continues to weigh heavily on the county’s conscience.

Unlike previous approaches, which often emphasized service delivery or reactive policing, the new 24-member Workgroup intends to go deeper—to examine why domestic violence persists at such high rates, why services remain fragmented, and why prevention efforts have not kept pace with the evolving complexity of the issue. According to the background briefing on the task force’s scope, the Workgroup is designed to identify gaps, coordinate services, develop new programs, advocate for victims, and recommend policy changes that strengthen prevention and response efforts across the county.

A New Kind of Response

What distinguishes the new Domestic Violence Workgroup is its structural ambition. Its mandate is not simply to respond—but to analyze, evaluate, and redesign.

The Workgroup will be composed of representatives from key agencies: PGPD, Fire/EMS, the Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Services, the State’s Attorney’s Office, Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, and a host of nonprofits and community stakeholders . The diverse membership is purposeful; domestic violence is a problem that touches every part of the county’s support system.

A major priority, according to the task force overview, is a deep dive into root causes—a level of analysis that earlier initiatives did not always prioritize. Past efforts often centered on immediate intervention, crisis response, and victim services. The new Workgroup aims to understand systemic patterns: economic factors, intergenerational trauma, housing instability, school-based warning signs, and the lack of streamlined resource coordination .

Another distinguishing factor is the push for systemic resource improvement. The briefing notes point out that the county’s services, while strong individually, often operate without a centralized strategy. The Workgroup intends to map all existing providers—governmental and nonprofit—to eliminate duplication, increase efficiency, and identify critical gaps such as transitional housing, long-term counseling, and comprehensive wraparound services.

The approach reflects an understanding that survivors often interact with multiple agencies, yet no single entity has visibility into the entire journey.

Twenty Years of Progress—And Limits

Over the past two decades, Prince George’s County has seen:

Increased survivor services: The number of organizations offering shelter, legal support, and counseling has grown significantly since the mid-2000s.
Better cross-agency communication: Law enforcement partners now collaborate more closely with health providers, social services, and nonprofits.
Improved protective order processes: Faster response times, better enforcement, and specialized units have strengthened accountability.
More community education: Public-awareness campaigns, school-based interventions, and workplace training programs have expanded.

These improvements matter. Survivors report experiencing smoother access to services, more consistent follow-up, and greater sensitivity from law-enforcement responders. But even with these gains, ongoing challenges persist. Housing shortages continue to place families at risk. Nonprofits remain underfunded relative to demand. And despite improved collaboration, the system still functions too often as a patchwork—effective in pieces but lacking the seamless integration needed to ensure no victim falls through the cracks.

Why the Workgroup Matters Now

The urgency of this initiative is heightened by both current trends and painful local tragedies. Domestic-violence-related homicides have stubbornly persisted, and in several cases increased, despite countywide progress. Advocates highlight that without coordinated early intervention—especially for high-risk cases—the county will continue to see preventable deaths.

The inclusion of the Sheriff’s Office and State’s Attorney’s Office in the Workgroup speaks to a shift toward proactive law-enforcement collaboration. Sheriff’s deputies, for example, have begun taking on a more sustained follow-through role on cases, ensuring that protective orders are not just filed but meaningfully enforced—a practice that the Workgroup hopes to strengthen and expand countywide.

Moreover, the county’s continued commitment to targeted funding through the Domestic Violence Grant Program ensures that nonprofits providing housing, counseling, legal support, and crisis intervention remain part of the solution—not peripheral to it.

A Path Forward

In one year, the Workgroup is expected to deliver a comprehensive report with recommendations for the County Council and County Executive. Community advocates hope that this report will provide not only an honest assessment of the county’s current challenges but also a blueprint for a more unified, effective, and compassionate system.

The stakes—for survivors, families, and the county’s future—are enormous. But so is the potential. After twenty years of progress and setbacks, Prince George’s County appears poised to take its most coordinated, research-driven step yet toward ending domestic violence. And for many, that step cannot come soon enough.