Another key member has joined the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence with the hiring of Inspector Clark Russell from the Victoria Police Department.

Russell will take on the role of director of system and service co-ordination and help lead the co-ordination and implementation of a strengthened domestic violence system across government. He will also be responsible for consulting with academic and community-based service providers.

Russell has 35 years of police service in the Victoria area and has significant experience dealing with domestic violence. He has been involved in the creation of three integrated investigative units in the Capital Regional District. Specifically, he helped with the formation of the Victoria Regional Domestic Violence Unit which began work in June 2010 dealing with high risk domestic violence cases.

In 2010, Russell was a member on the Coroner's Domestic Violence Death Review Panel that examined 29 deaths involving domestic violence circumstances. The panel made several findings and recommended strategies for preventing similar deaths in the future.

Russell has also been a member of the Violence Against Women in Relationships (VAWIR) Committee in Victoria since 2001. As part of his involvement with VAWIR, he has worked closely with community-based victim support workers, the Ministry of Children and Family Development and women's transition houses.

The Provincial Office of Domestic Violence will also benefit from the strong working relationships Russell has established with municipal police forces throughout B.C., RCMP, Crown Counsel, the BC Coroners Service and the Justice Institute of BC.

Quotes:

Mary McNeil, Minister of Children and Family Development -

"The Provincial Office of Domestic Violence is a major priority for our government and we want to ensure we bring in the best, most experienced staff possible to deal with such an important issue."

"Inspector Russell brings a wealth of knowledge with him as it relates to domestic violence, and his extensive background will help keep the office moving in the right direction towards a strengthened and co-ordinated domestic violence system across the province."

Shirley Bond, Minister of Justice and Attorney General -

"Our government is committed to the co-ordination of domestic violence policies, programs, and services across government. I am pleased that Inspector Russell has joined the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence. His years of experience working in the community on domestic violence issues make him a valuable addition, and will strengthen our working relationships with police agencies."

Jamie Graham, Chief Constable of the Victoria Police Department -

"After 35 years of exceptional service to his community, Inspector Clark Russell will be sorely missed by the Victoria Police Department. However, our loss is certainly the government's gain. The Provincial Office of Domestic Violence will undoubtedly benefit from Clark's decades of leadership in dealing with domestic violence. We wish him all of the best and are so pleased that his considerable talents will be applied to strengthening the way domestic violence is dealt with throughout the province."

Contact:

Brian Cotton
Senior Public Affairs Officer
Ministry of Children and Family Development
250 356-0543