AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – State and local domestic violence support organizations gather at the DoubleTree by Hilton for law enforcement training.

“We’re losing hundreds of lives. It’s approximately person every other day in Georgia that dies in a domestic violence-related fatality,” Georgia Commission on Family Violence Review Project Manager Carolyn Brooks said.

Carolyn Brooks is the Review Project Manager for the Georgia Commission on Family Violence and says that’s just the minimum – the ones they know about for sure. That’s why Wednesday’s training helped to remind trainees of what they might not see.

“How often is domestic violence occurring, how is it getting reported. When it’s not being reported, what’re the barriers… domestic violence fatalities have gone up, over the last four years, 39 percent and domestic violence murder suicides have gone up 75 percent.” 

Safe Homes of Augusta One in four women and one in seven men are physically abused by an intimate partner during their lifetime, and event leaders say law enforcement is usually the first to greet a victim. 

“With them understanding why they may stay, why they can’t just leave, I think it would really help in that situation– especially to give the victim the confidence to be able to call,” Safe Homes of Augusta Domestic Violence Center Executive Director Amee Hall said.

Event leaders say that the impact of domestic violence is notable and want everyone to know the signs. 

“We want everybody to know what those red flags are, so they can see them and respond appropriately. So, that includes advocates, law enforcements, prosecutors, judges. We train every discipline you can think of to recognize these things so they can respond appropriately in their role– whatever their profession is,” Brooks said. 

The Safe Homes of Augusta says victims commonly leave and return to their abusive relationship up to seven times before permanently leaving.

“They’re doing a great job in teaching why victims stay, what is domestic violence and so many times, many people don’t know what that is…,” Hall said. 

If you know or are someone who’s experienced domestic abuse – Safe Homes encourages you to call their crisis hotline. That number is 706- 736-2499.

The Turnaround Foundation will be hosting the “Love Doesn’t Hurt Run” on October 14th at 8:30 in the morning.