My name is Elizabeth Ford. I am at BetterALife. I apologize that I cannot be there in person tonight as I am leading our first Teen Night at the pantry. I am here again asking you not to make cuts to our police department. Every organization needs both leadership and support staff. So do they.
On 1/24/2014, I received my first two year restraining order from my abusive now ex-husband. Before that day, I had endured nearly ten years of mental and physical abuse. I was always afraid to call the police or tell anyone.
As a child growing up in a low-income community, police interactions felt negative. They came to arrest, detain, or control. I never trusted them. One evening, I tried to stand up to my ex husband at dinner. He slammed his plate into my face and split my eye open. I was bleeding everywhere and needed stitches. I drove my children and I to my father’s house with one eye bleeding down my face and clothes and the other eye full of tears and shame, still too afraid to call the police.
My stepmother drove me to the Loudoun ER and left with my kids safe with my dad. The hospital staff called the police. An Officer came to my room. He was cold and distant. He asked if I wanted to press charges. I was terrified of both him and my ex husband, and I quietly said no. He looked at me with what I felt was disapproval for saying no, closed the curtain, and stood guard.
My parents convinced me to file charges, but it took me weeks to overcome fear. I received a 30 day restraining order and he was arrested. The judge would not extend the order because I had not reported earlier so could not see history of this. I begged for help, I was denied.
After 30 days, he came without permission. While being held down on my floor by him, he took my phone so I could not call for help. My daughter screamed and ran, which distracted him, and I was able get to reach one arm up, grab my phone to call 911. The police officer came, gave me an incident number, and left. That night, my father came to protect me. Not an officer. I stood before the same judge once again and finally received my first two-year protection order 1/24/14 – my day of freedom that I had to be hit again to obtain.
Purcellville Police changed this experience for me. They build trust with children here who grow up like I did. They build trust with women who have been hurt and are afraid to call. They have taken steps to be trained to help everyone. They are saving lives through trust. If you remove or decrease them, you will be like the others that ignored me and left me scared. I ask you not to decrease their budget. Do not reduce their positions. And please hire Chief Sarah formally, because I have seen firsthand how she builds that trust. Thank you!
