$3M city plan will aim to prevent domestic abuse

THE CITY is spending $3.3 million to launch programs for domestic abusers — before they’ve been arrested, New York’s First Lady said Wednesday.

The initiative will provide counseling and training in relationship skills and anger management for up to 1,600 people who may be guilty of violence, but whose partners haven’t called the cops, Chirlane McCray (right) said.

“There are still too many people who do not feel safe in their own homes,” McCray said at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Midtown on Wednesday.

An estimated 50% to 70% of domestic violence incidents nationwide are never reported. And in the city, 61% of murders by intimate partners involve people who have never been in contact with the NYPD.

“Anyone who’s in immediate danger should always call 911,” McCray said. “But there are many who will never call for 911, even if there is a fear of immediate harm. We want them to know that there are resources available.”

The programs, hosted at community organizations, will serve abusers who decide on their own to seek help, are urged to go by a wife or girlfriend or are referred by an agency like the Administration for Children’s Services or a homeless shelter. There will also be a special program for teens. “They will help us stop abuse earlier, before it becomes even more toxic,” said Deputy Mayor Herminia Palacio. It’s unclear if program officials will ever get cops involved if violence continues. “It’s not a black and white answer,” McCray said.