Photos from
Baretts Village /
50 CENTS
Two protect & serve:
Quartzsites
silent monster:
Profiling domestic violence month
By Cathyleen Rice
Times Reporter
Sanctioned as the
month of domestic vio-
lence awareness, Octo-
ber shares the untold
and chilling stories of
women and men who
are victims of domestic
abuse.
The U.S. Surgeon Gen-
eral recently declared
domestic violence to be
the number one health
concern in the country
today.
An ever present prob-
lem in Quartzsite, Chief
Ponce said, domestic
violence is tallied at 40-
50 percent of the calls re-
ceived in the area.
On average, nearly
20 people per minute are
physically abused by an
intimate partner in the
United States. During
one year, this equates
to more than 10 million
women and men, ac-
cording to the National
Coalition against Do-
mestic Violence report-
ed.
Which means, 1 in 3
women and 1 in 4 men
have been victims of
some form of physical
violence by an intimate
partner within their life-
time.
In regard to Quartz-
site, QPD Chief Ponce
reported, On average often accompanied by
our department takes at
least 4 domestic violence
calls for service each
month. These are calls
which come in as a do-
mestic violence calls to
our dispatch many times
or come in as other calls
like an intoxicated per-
son or trespassing. astating consequences
Intoxicated persons
or trespassers are often-
times perpetrators to
harming those involved
in relationships, which
are shown in other re-
ports that, women ages ners:
18 to 34 are at greatest
risk of becoming victims
of domestic violence,
[with] more than 4 mil-
lion women experienc-
ing physical assault and
rape by their partners
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Details on A3
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Uriel Avendano
Profiling QPDs newest
officers
Times Editor
With the slow but steady uptick in
seasonal population size and transient
backpackers, the town of Quartzsite
must ready the sleepy desert neighbor-
hoods for the influx of busy body travel-
ers. Long-time resident friends and fam-
ilies are no strangers to the incoming
change in tempo and the buzz of antici-
pation hovering in the cooling fall air.
With the safety of year-round locals
and visitors alike in mind, the value in
preparedness in the community is not Photos by Uriel Avendano/Quartzsite Times
lost on the Quartzsite Police Depart- ABOVE: Quartzsite Police Departments Officer Clifford
ments own. Finch is the newest member of the small Arizona desert towns law
For the departments two newest enforcement team. LEFT: Quartzsite Police Departments Officer
badges, Quartzsites unique character Jason Beard, also a former U.S. Navy corpsman and the son of a
and embracing community is a wel- retired police officer, has an extensive background in a variety of
See OFFICERS/A2 different skills to contribute to this newfound law enforcement team.
and homicide cases in-
volving 2 out of 3 females
who are killed by a fam-
ily member or intimate
partner, Safe Horizon,
a federal network geared
to empowering victims
of domestic violence sta-
tistics showed.
As seen in reports
made in Quartzsite, vic-
tims of domestic violence
are reluctant to report-
ing such abuse for many
reasons including:pride,
PhotoS courtesy of Mark Goldberg/Quartzsite Off-Road
embarrassment, finan-
cial dependency and in- The Arizona Peace Trail offers ATV/UTV enthusiasts an incredible 700-mile long course with a variety of different sights and
historical landmarks, like the Apache Chief Mine.
timidation.
Quartzsites Master Plan!
Therefore Ponce said,
So the call may come
to us under different
circumstances. Things
may change during the
course of the investiga-
Towns Arizona Peace Trail off-road project plan pre-approved $200k
tion that would then By Joyce Lobeck
allow us to determine Times Reporter
L
that it is a domestic vio-
lence call and change the ast week was an
exciting one for
course of the investiga-
tion. those in Quartzsite
who have been
According to the Unit-
ed States Department working on various
of Justice Office on Vio- fronts to capitalize
lence Against Women, on the communitys
the definition of domes- many desert trails
tic violence is a pattern and promote the area
of abusive behavior in as a destination for
any relationship that is off-highway vehicle
used by one partner to recreationists.
gain or maintain control An application before
over another intimate the Arizona State Parks
partner. for funding to develop
Physical violence is a master plan for the
Arizona Peace Trail has
emotionally abusive and moved another step for-
controlling behavior as ward with pre-approval
part of a much larger, by an advisory group
systematic pattern of for the department.
In addition, Arizona The Arroyos UTV Group look forward to a day full of off-roading through the Arizona Peace
dominance and control.
Domestic violence can State Parks has ap- Trail course in Quartzsite, Ariz.
result in physical injury, proved an application information around the hicle Advisory Group in that they can do so.
psychological trauma by La Paz County to the amount of $200,000.
Quartzsite area is just Development of a
and even death. The dev- develop a second stag- The application now
off the presses and is master plan would
ing area for the Arizona
now available for pur- goes before the depart- make the trail official,
of domestic violence can Peace Trail, this one to
be located near Parker. chase at several loca- ments Arizona Outdoor though, she said. It
cross generations and
last a lifetime, Ponce The proposed Arizona tions around town. Recreation Coordinat- would be a huge mar-
assured. Peace Trail is a 750-mile Holly Irwin, La Paz ing Commission. keting tool.
Many forms of abuse off-highway vehicle County supervisor for Irwin said shes hope- La Paz County aided
are seen in these man- loop that stretches from District 3, announced ful a final decision on in the application pro-
Bullhead City to Yuma that an application to the funding application cess by securing $6,500
Physical abuse can and is expected to draw the Arizona State Parks will be made before the for consulting services
include hitting, biting, recreational tourists to to fund development of end of the year. by a firm that assisted
slapping, battering, the three-county region a master plan for the People are talking in submitting the ap-
shoving, punching, pull- of western Arizona. Arizona Peace Trail was about (the Peace Trail), plication to the Arizona
ing hair, burning, cut- Meanwhile, the long- given pre-approval on she said, Theyre ask- State Parks.
ting, pinching, etc. (any awaited Quartzsite Off- Sept. 27 by the depart- ing if they can ride the In addition, the Ari-
See VIOLENCE/A2 Road Atlas that covers ments Off Highway Ve- trail now. The answer is See TRAIL/A2