West Jordan displays scale of domestic violence with field of flags, pinwheels

Rows of purple flags and spinning pinwheels transformed a local field into a powerful visual statement at Veterans Memorial Park on Monday. Each flag represents a call to law enforcement for domestic violence in West Jordan over the past year, while each pinwheel symbolizes a survivor who found refuge at the local shelter.

South Valley Services and the West Jordan Police Department partnered to create the display for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, aiming to raise awareness and provide support for those affected by domestic violence.

“The thing that we know about domestic violence is that domestic violence thrives in silence. And so what we want to do is ... acknowledge that it’s real, and to believe individuals and showcase that we will be there for those folks,” said Sam Candland, a technical assistance specialist with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition.

South Valley Services, which operates shelters in West Jordan and Tooele County, serves a diverse population across Utah.

“We offer shelter, case management, therapy and community outreach,” said facilitator Sarah McLaren, a facilitator at South Valley Services. “Most of our population comes from the south valley here in Salt Lake County, but we have clients from all over the state.”

South Valley Services Executive Director Lindsey Boyer said, “Last year, West Jordan Police Department referred 326 domestic violence survivors to (South Valley Services). Of those, 320 were screened as high danger — that is, 98% of all victims screened while law enforcement responded on scene to a domestic violence incident.”

She said the stats look “very similar” in neighboring communities in Salt Lake County, and that South Valley Services is fortunate to have a close partnership with West Jordan police.

“We serve everyone — men, women, children and trans people — in a safe environment,” said Stephanie Niemi-DeHerrera, director of shelter and community services with the organization.

It is the underserved and vulnerable communities that are at higher risk of more “nuanced and complicated types of violence,” Candland said. In other words, people who do not fit the stereotype of a typical domestic abuse victim often face harder and more complicated forms of abuse.

“That’s what the power of these programs are, that are serving all demographics of people. It doesn’t matter who you are — the only thing that folks need to access these services is to identify that they are a victim of domestic violence,” he said.

Despite the stigma that still exists surrounding men coming forward as victims of domestic violence, Nieme-DeHerrera does see people of “all genders” and “all identities” reach out for services. “We serve everyone at the same level. We’re able, in our shelter, to be able to have safe places for men who are single or with their family and still be a safe place where women are being served as well.”

Another misconception that keeps survivors of domestic abuse from seeking help is the idea that abuse must be physically violent to “count” as abuse. Part of Domestic Violence Awareness is understanding that there are many types of abuse — including psychological and financial.

“Knowledge is power, right? And so if we understand that, we can do something with it. We can do something about it. We can educate,” Boyer said. “The more we talk about it, the less silence there is, the less isolation there is and the better opportunity for people to find the support that they need when you need it.”

“It’s actually very empowering,” said Brittany Aliaga, shelter manager at South Valley Services. “You can see it come full circle, growing up and seeing situations and not having resources. When you try to Google, and try to figure out what’s going on in your community and there’s no support — I just want to say that I’m a witness that it’s definitely come full circle, and now I can answer those questions that I always had for myself.”