Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Police officer recognized for anti-domestic violence efforts
Coatesville Sgt. Rodger Ollis presented with Shield of Excellence Award
COATESVILLE >> The Domestic Violence Center of Chester County (DVCCC) commended the Coatesville Police Department for its efforts toward stopping domestic violence, at the city council meeting Monday night.
Sgt. Rodger Ollis recently received the DVCCC’s first ever Shield of Excellence Award, in recognition of his work to implement the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) protocol in the Coatesville Police Department. LAP is a program designed to keep domestic violence victims safe and reduce the chances of domestic violence incidents ending in homicides.
Police Chief Jack Laufer noted that October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the police department worked to raise awareness of the issue with officers wearing purple wristbands, placing purple ribbons on patrol cars and in the business district, and highlighting the issue on social media. The department even had a purple pumpkin in its lobby. Ollis got the idea after seeing a pink pumpkin at the hospital for breast cancer
awareness, but purple is the color for domestic violence awareness, Laufer said.
The Coatesville Police Department was selected about five years ago for a pilot program to implement the LAP protocol in the city, and the program has been a great success since then, he said.
The police department responds to about 800 domestic disturbances annually in the city; about 10 percent of those calls require intervention through LAP, Laufer said.
The protocol links the victim to an advocate quickly, which is vital in reducing the chance of homicidal violence when it comes to domestic violence, he said.
Nationally, LAP reduces the chance of a domestic violence incident ending in a homicide by about 40 percent, he said.
Laufer said Ollis was the point person for implementing LAP in the city. He also coordinated training in LAP for other officers in the Coatesville Police Department and served as a facilitator for training sessions to teach the protocol at other police departments in the county, in partnership with DVCCC, as well as Pennsylvania’s eastern region police departments in partnership with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
A celebration was held Oct. 24 through DVCCC to recognize the Coatesville Police Department and all other police departments in the county that participated in the LAP training.
Ashley Folchman, LAP coordinator at DVCCC, said Ollis was the first person everyone at the center thought of when it was time to present their first Shield of Excellence Award.
She thanked Ollis and the entire department for helping to make LAP successful in the city. Through LAP, officers are making sure domestic violence victims are safe, connected with victim advocates and getting shelter when needed, she said.
Folchman played a presentation with photos and videos of Ollis on duty in the city, and comments from fellow officers and community members thanking Ollis for all the work he does.
Ollis was humble after the presentation, and gave credit to his fellow officers.
“The work that I do really can’t be done without the boots on the ground,” he said. “It’s the officers that are getting this (LAP) form, taking the calls and ensuring that victims are helped.
“It’s really a privilege to work with the Domestic Violence Center; I thank them.”