Patricia Wheeler was shot four times in the legs at point-blank range. The crime wasn’t committed by a robber or a thug, but by her husband, who had become upset, possibly over a credit card bill, according to the Chicago-area woman.
Afraid her husband would make good on his continued threats to kill her, Wheeler contacted Carolyn Morris, executive director of the Domestic Violence Agency of Arlington Heights.”
For six months after the shooting, Wheeler’s husband was out of jail on bond. “I was always looking over my shoulder, afraid,” Wheeler said.
“She was desperate,” said Morris, an Arlington Heights resident. “(Her husband) was threatening her in court by pulling his finger across his throat, so we supplied her with bodyguards.”
The agency’s guards accompanied Wheeler to criminal and divorce courts (she received protection from local police while at home).
“They’ve been invaluable,” Wheeler said. “I felt so much more secure with them being there.”
Morris founded the Domestic Violence Agency, formerly known as the World Security Bureau, in June 1996 to provide protection, advocacy and assistance to victims of domestic violence and child sexual assault. It offers security officers to accompany women, referrals to lawyers and social service agencies and victim advocacy in the courts.
Since it began, the agency has helped 500 people nationwide.
As a victim of domestic violence throughout her childhood and two marriages, and having been sexually assaulted as a child, Morris decided to use her high profile as Mrs. Illinois 1995 to launch the non-profit organization.
“We’re an agency of last resort,” Morris said. “Most of the victims have gone through the regular legal channels without much luck. Besides security, victims receive education, guidance and direction in dealing with the system and process as well as referrals to counseling and (to professionals in) the fields of medicine and law.
“I did this because I can sleep at night if I’ve helped one person out of an abusive situation and helped save their lives.”
According to Chicago police officer Sam Flores, one of 750 police and security officers who volunteer their time at the Domestic Violence Agency, the presence of the guards is enough to keep the offending husbands and partners away.
“They’re bullies,” said Flores of the abusers. “They abuse these women because they can. When they see the victims have someone on their side who is not afraid of bullies, they back down. That’s why this program is so effective.”
The guards are called as needed. Some accompany the women to court; others are on 24-hour duty. The protection usually extends through the women’s court cases.
“I do this because I want to do something to help these women,” and he has found that just his presence is enough, Flores said.
When the DuPage County Children’s Center referred the mother of a 5-year-old girl to the Domestic Violence Agency because the child was being sexually abused by her father during his visitations with her, the agency quickly became an advocate for the girl, Morris said.
By raising public awareness of the case, Morris was able to help get a civil order of protection against the father, terminating his visitation with his daughter.
Morris, who is originally from California, watched her father physically abuse her mother throughout her childhood, and she and her brother were physically abused as well. She was also sexually abused as a young child by a neighbor.
At 18, Morris got married to get out of the house, a common way for many women to escape domestic violence, according to Morris. Unfortunately, she married someone who had grown up in a similar environment, and she soon was being abused by him, repeating the cycle of violence.
Eight months pregnant with her first child, Morris was kicked down the stairs by her husband. She knew she had to get out, but it took several attempts and more than a year before she actually left. Leaving a violent relationship can be extremely difficult, according to Morris.
“Seventy percent of abuse occurs after you file (battery) charges or go for the divorce,” Morris said, citing a figure she has gleaned from reading papers by experts in the field of domestic violence. “It’s a better survival method to stay married. At least you know when he is coming home. It’s like preparing for war, and you get ready for him. When you leave him, you don’t know if he’s behind a bush or a car, so the most important aspect is protection and the security of knowing you’ll have support when you leave.”
After winning the Mrs. Illinois title in 1995, she started speaking out about the domestic violence and sexual abuse she had endured. She began to get calls from security guards and police officers offering their help in providing protection from her estranged husband, which gave her the idea for the agency.
She heard about a Kane County woman who had been shot by her husband and called the family a couple of weeks later to volunteer some of the security officers who had been protecting her.
“Unfortunately, it was too late, ” Morris said. The woman’s husband had killed her. “I was so upset; I should have called her earlier. Maybe I could have saved her; I vowed from that point on to help other women.”
She began to recruit more police and security officers to provide protection, and she set up an 800 number for people who needed help to call.
Although barely a year old, the Domestic Violence Agency is growing fast and has attained a reputation among professionals who work with domestic violence agencies.
“It’s been really wonderful to come across an agency like this,” said Bernice Haynes, domestic violence coordinator of Chicago Commons, a welfare-to-work program based in Chicago. “They educate the victims and work within a client’s capabilities.”
According to Haynes, 6 out of 10 women on welfare are victims of domestic violence, so providing them with protection and a feeling of safety is an important component of helping them get on their feet.
“No two domestic violence situations are alike,” she said. “(The Domestic Violence Agency) handles the client with kid gloves and comes up with a unique plan for each one.” Haynes has referred several clients, including her sister, to the agency.
Victims are referred by social service agencies such as Chicago Commons and the Taylor Institute in North Lawndale as well as government agencies such as the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
“The more publicity we get and the more people hear about us, the more referrals we get. The growth is incredible,” Morris said. “When we started up, we were helping about three victims a week get orders of protection. Now we’re up to 10.”
Up to now, most of the expenses for the agency have come out of Morris’ pocket, but the group has gotten some private donations, and it is applying for grant money.
Morris recently announced she is running for Cook County Sheriff on the Republican ticket.
“I was prepared for a lot of flak and beauty queen jokes,” Morris said. “But the support from people has really been overwhelming.”
Morris said her candidacy is legitimate but that it is “a win-win situation. If I don’t win, at least I will heighten public awareness of domestic violence and child sexual assault issues. It will challenge someone to do something about it.”
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