County Legislature to Vote on Expanded Training to Address Domestic Violence

Poughkeepsie, New York - The Dutchess County Legislature will consider a Resolution to significantly expand training for local officials on the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) on domestic violence intervention, Legislature Chair Yvette Valdés Smith announced Monday.

The move comes as part of the Legislature’s commitment to protecting victims of domestic violence under Chair Valdés Smith.

“The Lethality Assessment Program is a proven, effective, evidence-based method to protect domestic violence victims who are most at-risk of suffering fatal harm at the hands of their abusers,” said Legislature Chair Yvette Valdés Smith. “As long as I am the Chair of this Legislature, victims and survivors of domestic violence will have an ally in this body.”

The Resolution, introduced by Legislator Emma Arnoff (D- LaGrange), has broad support from the Majority Caucus, with nearly a dozen sponsors signing onto the Resolution, including Chair Valdés Smith. If adopted, the Resolution would provide twice-yearly training sessions to all elected officials in Dutchess County. While the LAP is administered in the field by only trained law enforcement personnel, LAP training is a crucial tool for educating elected officials about effective domestic violence response and its life-or-death implications. This training will help inform their future decision-making on domestic violence matters in their elected capacities.

The LAP Resolution is the latest step by the County Legislature in 2026 to advance protections for domestic violence victims. Earlier this year, Chair Valdés Smith appointed Legislator Arnoff

to the County’s Citizens Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence, a move to reinvigorate the committee.

“I’m proud to have authored this resolution. Through my work with the Citizens Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence, I’ve seen how critical the Lethality Assessment Program is in saving lives,” said Legislator Emma Arnoff. “By ensuring more elected officials are educated on intimate partner violence and understand how LAP works, all of us can better support law enforcement and more effectively advocate for policies and resources that protect victims.”

The moves championed by Chair Valdés Smith have been well-received by the Legislature and the law enforcement community.

"The revitalization of this committee is an important step in supporting victims of domestic violence whose needs have too often and too easily been dismissed," said Legislator Eric Alexander (D-Amenia), who chairs the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee.

A law enforcement initiative by which trained officers administer a series of standardized questions to victims when responding to domestic violence incidents, the Lethality Assessment Program is used to determine the extent to which the victim is at-risk of lethal violence by their alleged abuser. The officer can then act immediately to connect the victim with specialized domestic violence counselors and other resources, potentially reducing the most life-threatening domestic violence cases, including fatal outcomes. LAP procedures have been implemented by all 17 law enforcement jurisdictions in Dutchess County, with more than 1,500 screenings taking place in 2025 alone.

“This resolution will be a critical step toward equipping elected officials with the knowledge needed to recognize evidence-based lethality indicators in domestic violence cases,” said Universal Response to Domestic Violence/STRIVE Coordinator Kaitlin Rodriques. “Post-training, elected officials will have a strengthened understanding of the factors that increase an individual’s risk for homicide and the ability to make more informed decisions that will increase both survivor and community safety. The Universal Response to Domestic Violence is eager to collaborate with local leaders in this important work.”

The Resolution will be considered by the County Legislature’s Family & Human Services Committee at its meeting on Thursday, May 7. If the Committee votes to advance the Resolution, it will come to a full vote on Monday, May 11.

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