Last week, Hall County Sheriff's deputies made seven domestic violence arrests. All arrestees face varying degrees of battery charges, and a few face other charges, like obstruction, terroristic threats, and cruelty to children.
"They ranged from early young adults to the most recent arrest was a 72 year old," said Lt. Scott Ware with the Sheriff's Office.
Which leads to the question: do domestic violence incidents go up during the holiday season in Hall County?
"We have seen an increase in domestic violence calls around the holidays often spurned by financial strains and/or alcohol consumption. Not all calls end with an arrest, but it does seem to increase somewhat," Ware said.
However, Jessica Butler, executive director of Gateway Domestic Violence Center, said their shelter in Gainesville doesn't see as much of a peak.
"We see pretty flat numbers in terms of people reaching out to us for help. In fact, sometimes we see fewer people reaching out to us during the holidays because, I think, a lot of people are trying to make it work and not disrupt holiday festivities at home," Butler said. "We tend to see an increase in request for help from new clients right after the holidays."
In separate interviews, Ware and Butler echoed the same statement: if you need help, reach out.
Butler said Gateway features a crisis hotline that is manned 24/7 - even on big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.
"I always want people to know that the first time they call, they don't have to do anything that day. They could call just to get general information, find out what resources are available and see if they think this might be a good fit for them," Butler said. The number for the hotline is 770-536-5860.
And of course, Ware said if you're facing an emergency, don't hesitate to call 911.
"I know it's very private and you're usually talking about someone who is a relative... but it does occur and we're here to help any way we can."
If you or a loved one needs help involving a domestic violence situation, contact Gateway's crisis line at 770-536-5860 or go to their website for more information.
