Bay County Sheriff’s Office seeing rise in domestic violence cases

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -

Bay County Sheriff’s officials say they’ve seen an uptick in domestic violence cases lately.

They believe the rise in cases could be due to the pandemic with more people forced to stay inside for longer as well as possibly going through financial hardships.

Officials say there are resources between the Sheriff’s Office and the Salvation Army, but there are also ways individuals can help those in need.

“Don’t judge, don’t condemn, be helpful, acknowledge the injustice, respect their autonomy and their privacy,” said Lieutenant Koren Colbert with the criminal investigations division of the Sheriff’s Office. “But also help them safety plan or if you don’t know how to safety plan give them some resources.”

The Salvation Army of Panama City has a domestic violence hotline you can reach at 1-800-252-2597.

There’s also a state domestic violence hotline you can reach at 1-800-500-1119.

You can also reach the Bay County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 747-4700.

Officials say if you are in danger in a domestic violence situation to call 911 first.

Copyright 2020 WJHG. All rights reserved.