Domestic violence calls increase as temperatures rise

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- On average, Fresno Police respond to 20 calls a day for domestic violence, and they make seven arrests. But over the past month these numbers have doubled. The chief says it's all heat related.

Summer stresses are to blame in what Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says turned an encouraging trend into a bad one. Dyer says it began four weeks ago at the start of the Valley's first hot spell.

"Domestic violence that has resulted in a serious injury or visible injury has been reduced this year by about 13 percent. However, what we've seen since the weather started warming up in the last month, those numbers have doubled," said Dyer.

Genelle Taylor Kumpe of the Marjaree Mason Center says crisis calls are rising... So are the numbers of mostly women and children seeking shelter to get out of a violent home. This time of year, several factors can lead to violent blowouts.

"The summer months we've got kids at home, which is more stressful. People are consuming alcoholic beverages in the summer, which you are more irritable and you could be more angry," said Genelle Taylor Kumpe, Marjaree Mason Executive Director.

Chief dyer says officers responding to calls of domestic problems are trained to ask more questions and rely on more than the victim's statements to reach a conclusion.

"The important thing for our officers when they are investigating a domestic violence call is to probe deeply. Get into what truly happened that means sometimes not just taking the victim's word for what occurred," said Dyer, "but to go beyond that to check with neighbors to check with kids in the residence to see if something did happen."

Fresno police typically see domestic violence calls increase not only when temperatures climb, but also around the holiday season. Sadly, the chief says 70 percent of calls where violence is happening involve children who are witnessing the hollering and hitting.

The chief says officers approach these calls with great care because often times they escalate and sometimes end in murders.