NEW CITY ― Since 2023, eight women in Rockland have been killed in domestic violence incidents.
County Legislator Beth Davidson proposed a program, modeled after one enacted last year in Westchester County, that provides free door locks and cameras, including their installation, to victims of domestic violence and intimate partner violence.
Rockland County Legislature voted unanimously on Oct. 20 to establish a program that provides "dwelling‑safety measures" for survivors of domestic and gender‑based violence.
"At its heart, this law is about a simple principal," Davidson, D-Nyack, said after the vote. "No one trying to escape domestic violence should have to worry about whether they can afford a new lock, a security camera or the basic protections
that can help keep them, their children or their pets safe."
According to the legislation, the law is intended to increase public safety and decrease unstable housing situations.
The new Domestic Violence Victims Housing Security Aid Program will be administered by the Rockland Department of Social Services, which will come up with an implementation plan.
Bipartisan support for Rockland domestic violence legislation
Davidson during the Oct. 20 Legislature meeting noted that the new program had garnered bipartisan support and thanked her Republican colleagues for the teamwork.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day, a Republican, also supported the measure. “As a former law enforcement member, I have had the horrible experience of tending to the victims of this crime, and this new bill shows them that they are not alone and the County of Rockland is here to help," he said.
DSS Commissioner Patrick Frawley, a former chief assistant district attorney in the Rockland District Attorney's office, supported the endeavor.
“The Department of Social Services works every day with families in crisis, and as a former member of law enforcement I can tell you that safety at home is often the first and most urgent need,” Frawley said. “This program gives us a direct, practical way to help survivors secure their homes quickly, without cost standing in the way. We are ready to put it to work for Rockland families.”
Not safe to stay, not safe to leave
A partner can have a key or other ways of entry into a home, making a victim believe it's too dangerous to stay.
But moving out poses its own challenges.
Many who suffer from domestic violence end up homeless. They often lack resources to obtain a lease.
That is, if they can find housing at all.
"Lack of affordable housing and long waiting lists for assisted housing mean that many women and their children are forced to choose between abuse at home and life on the streets," according to the National Coalition on the Homeless.
Those who support victims back the measure
Sharon Mellis, CEO of People to People, Rockland County's largest food pantry, spoke in favor of the legislation at the Oct. 20 meeting.
"We too often see people who have fled their homes," she said, and now need the food pantry's support.
Elizabeth Santiago, CEO of the Center for Safety and Change, Rockland's family shelter, spoke in support of the bill. While a restraining order is an important step, she said, it is a piece of paper that can only do so much "if the person who harmed you can still unlock the front door."
Joseph Barca prosecutes all domestic violence cases in Rockland as division chief of the County Court and Special Victims Division in the District Attorney's Office. He told Rockland legislators that the program was a practical solution.
"Survivors of domestic violence and gender-based violence often are forced to leave their homes when abusers retain access to those homes," Barca said. Taking these security steps on behalf of victims, he said, helps safeguard victims from future harm.
Mellis, of People to People, said the measure not only helps woman feel safer, it can "make sure they remain survivors."
How Westchester law has worked
Westchester County's Safety Measures for Survivors of Domestic Violence Act has offered free lock changes and video doorbells for survivors at their homes since 2025.
"If your abuser has key to your home, it’s impossible to feel safe," Westchester County Legislator David Imamura, the bill's sponsor, said in 2024 after the Westchester legislation was passed
Catherine Borgia, acting director for the Westchester County Office For Women, said that 60 cameras have been installed and 28 locks changed for domestic violence victims since the law was enacted.
Rockland Legislator Dana Stilley, D-Orangetown, noted that New City-based Center For Safety and Change had served more than 700 victims of domestic and intimate partner violence in 2025. The new law, Stilley said, "is turning our commitment to survivors into practical help."
Help is available
Call or text 988 for 24/7 confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress.
Reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or chat via thehotline.org.
Get the 'Angle' on Rockland news
The Rockland Angle, lohud’s free weekly newsletter, gives you the scoop on what’s new and trending in the county, its five towns and myriad villages and hamlets. Get The Angle delivered to your inbox every Monday evening; sign up at Rockland Angle | Newsletters | The Journal News
Staff writer Alexandra Rivera contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rockland to give new locks, cameras to domestic violence victims
