Adanna Springer is a domestic violence survivor. The 30-year-old Connecticut resident said she spent most of her 20s in an abusive relationship before a program used by police to assess the danger of a domestic violence situation saved her life.
The screening tool, called the Lethality Assessment Program, uses a “specialized lethality assessment instrument and an accompanying referral protocol” which allows police responding to domestic violence calls to assess a victim’s risk for serious injury or death and immediately connects them to a local domestic violence advocate for support and safety information.
“The (Lethality Assessment Program) opened my eyes. You know what’s going on is wrong but someone asking questions that sound really dangerous and you say yes to that is an eye opener,” Springer said. “It’s like, ‘I’m in a serious situation and I have to get out or I might not live.’ This program is good for lawmakers and police officers, but it’s really good for victims.”
Springer recalled that her abuser would not leave her alone.
“I had months and months of constant break-ins every night, Monday through Friday, and there was never a time where I called for help and help didn’t come. Or help came angry or annoyed. They showed up to keep me safe every time. They showed up with love, care and compassion every time. … The questions made me want to question the life I was in and that I had to do better,” she recalled.
Springer told her story Thursday at press conference in Middletown where leaders from the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, as well as members of law enforcement, announced the inclusion of the program in the statewide policy for police response to crimes of family violence.
Springer said she finally left the long-term abusive relationship and is now happily married with a 2-month-old girl.
“My hope is always to reach victims and motivate them to leave,” Springer said. “I feel (the Lethality Assessment Program) saved my life. It’s the questions. If someone is asking you those questions, you can’t pretend you aren’t in danger anymore.
“I’m hopeful my message is reaching someone because I remember being in those shoes, not knowing what the right thing to do was,” she said. “I don’t want anyone else to die of domestic violence.”
Adanna Springer said she believes the Lethality Assessment Program saved her life. (Sean Krofssik/Hartford Courant)
The Domestic Violence Criminal Justice Response and Enhancement Advisory Council voted unanimously this summer to make the Lethality Assessment Program mandatory across the state in cases of family violence.
“Once a survivor does screen in high danger, that’s when the officer has to call the (domestic violence) hotline. That advocate on the hotline with the officer and survivor will strategically safety planning. Once the survivor is safe, we will start talking about the criminal cases and will connect that victim with a court advocate who will walk them through the process and be by their side the entire way,” said Karen Foley O’Connor, CEO of The Network and co-chair of the Domestic Violence Criminal Justice Response and Enhancement Advisory Counci Law Enforcement Subcommittee.
O’Connor said over 50% of the survivors screen in high danger and officers call in 80% of the time to get that survivor on the phone.
“From that point, 90% of those (survivors) stay in services and will work with that member program, which could mean one of the 18 safe shelters in the state or individual advocacy. That’s a win-win having this many people getting on that phone and continuing those services,” O’Connor said.
The Lethality Assessment Program was initially rolled out for voluntary use in 2012. By November 2017, it was used voluntarily at all municipal, state and university police departments.
Between 2012 and 2024, there were 102,365 screens conducted statewide with 55,293 (54%) of the screens identified as high danger. Of those screens identified as high danger, 29,151 individuals (53%) spoke with an advocate while the officer was still on the scene, making an immediate connection for safety planning and future support services, according to Meghan Scanlon, president and CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
“We’ve had over 100,000 LAP’s done and thousands of lives saved through the collaboration between law enforcement and our member programs. The impact is life or death and that is really meaningful for us,” Scanlon said.
Meghan Scanlon, president & CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, talks about the use of the Lethality Assessment Program at the press conference in Middletown on Thursday. (Sean Krofssik/Hartford Courant)
According to Scanlon, it took several years to get law enforcement on board. She said she was happy that the entire state volunteered to use the program starting in 2017, and noted that Connecticut is the first state to have full voluntary participation by its state and municipal police departments.
“We know that there have been some inconsistencies from department to department, but this will help with consistency across the state of using the form and making sure law enforcement is connecting individuals to services right on scene,” Scanlon said. “It’s also about community awareness that this is a resource and a tool to get people to safety. Law enforcement is not coming to the scene and asking these questions just to be difficult, they really are a partner and do amazing connecting individuals to our hotline right away.”
Chief Patrick Ridenhour of the Danbury Police Department said the Lethality Assessment Program is a game-changer for all involved.
“It’s beneficial to the victims but also the officers,” Ridenhour said. “Left to their own devices, they may not ask the right questions. To have this template to ask the right questions and give the victims the services they need is most important.”
Ridenhour said it was an adjustment for officers at first because it added responsibility and paperwork, but he didn’t recall there ever being any resistance to using it.
“I think everyone understands how important this is,” he said. “Sometimes it just takes time to get it right to make sure everything is filled out properly and that’s where the partnerships come in with the feedback from CCADV and for us in Danbury, The Center for Empowerment and Education. They are willing to work with us to get those things right and submitted properly so victims get the proper help they deserve.”
Ridenhour said Connecticut has set the trend on this issue.
“The organizations we work with are dedicated to victims, and Connecticut sets the example for everyone,” Ridenhour said. “It’s refreshing to be a part of this and it’s a game-changer because we’ve saved thousands of live since LAP has been in place. No question about it.”
Scanlon said having the program as a minimum standard for law enforcement moving forward means that new officers coming out of the police academy and current officers will be able to use the assessment to keep people safe and also to build trust between law enforcement and survivors.
DESPP commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins said the goal of his organization is to make sure that everyone who lives, visits and works in Connecticut is safe.
“We take this comprehensive safety system very seriously in Connecticut and the outcomes are astronomical,” Higgins said. “We are doing a better job teaching recruits in the police academy how to keep people safe and right here, right now we have a lot to be proud of because it is a model for other states to follow.
“When we share data and collaborate and focus on a clear mission, which is keeping people safe, we get things right. When we get things right, people’s lives are improved, and we are keeping people safer every day.”