Funding for domestic violence center finally gets approval from Cupid and Board

After a previous request from District Attorney Flynn Broady was put on ice by Chairwoman Lisa Cupid and the Board of Commissioners earlier in the year, the DA returned to the BOC with the ongoing request, along with alarming statistics, as he lobbied for approval for the funding to support a  new domestic violence center in Cobb.

During his presentation, Broady presented facts as he reflected on his own childhood experience of having to defend his mother from his abusive father with a baseball bat. He also touched on the rising rate of abuse and domestic violence locally saying domestic violence cases are up 25 percent since the pandemic hit.Broady said, “Once somebody puts their hand on your neck, they’re prone to kill you which means they’re capable of doing it.” Recounting his own childhood experiences with domestic violence, he talked about his mom, saying, “…But she never called the police.”

Broady provided alarming statistics on domestic violence and abuse in Cobb, which included the 911 center receiving over 49 domestic violence calls a day. He also shared that from 2018 to 2020, almost 37,000 domestic violence clients were served by the center. He also shared that Cobb has been labeled as having the most long-term temporary protective orders issued within the state, an unpopular title to have if you are the victim of domestic violence within the county. In his effort to secure the funding needed for the new facility, Broady said. “We’ve got to give people a place to go so they can get the help and get away from their abusers.” 

In describing the new facility, the DA’s office portrayed it to a “one stop shop” for victims of abuse. They can meet with nonprofit and law enforcement partners for legal help, counseling, and shelter services. After his hard push for funding, Cupid and the board voted 4-1 to allocate about $460,000 for the Family Advocacy Center. Commissioner Keli Gambrill voted no. 

The funds approved by Cupid and her board were far less than the $1.4 million Broady requested in January. In what many described as an illogical move, the board declined to pay an additional $88,000 that would have increased funding for the much needed staff to support the facility.

The new facility for the Cobb Family Advocacy Center will be at 277 Fairground Street in Marietta, just north of South Marietta Parkway. It will serve as a service point to connect victims with resources like LiveSafe’s shelter in Marietta, which is a partner in the venture. The Center will cost about $400,000 to renovate and will be open by late April, early May.