Syracuse Police Target High-Risk Domestic Violence
The STRIVE initiative pairs local agencies with Vera House to identify and respond to intimate partner violence in Onondaga County.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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The Syracuse Police Department is using STRIVE, a program that stands for Statewide Targeted Reductions in Intimate Partner Violence, to identify high-risk domestic violence cases in Onondaga County. Officers screen situations with an 11-question tool and contact Vera House directly from the scene to connect victims with support.
Why it matters
The program ties law enforcement to victim services and prosecutors at the point of response, rather than leaving referrals to later steps. For Syracuse residents, it establishes a coordinated framework for identifying the cases most likely to escalate.
Officers administer an 11-question screening tool, the Danger Assessment for Law Enforcement (DA-LE), when a situation fits the criteria for intimate partner violence. The source does not report how many cases have been screened or referred to date.
The players
Syracuse Police Department
The municipal police agency serving Syracuse, New York, which leads officer screening and referrals under the STRIVE program.
Vera House
A Syracuse-area nonprofit that provides support services to victims of domestic and sexual violence and is contacted directly from the scene.
Onondaga County Sheriff's Office
The county law enforcement agency in Onondaga County that participates in the STRIVE partnership.
The details
STRIVE brings together the Syracuse Police Department, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, the probation department, the district attorney's office, the crime analysis center and Vera House. When officers identify a high-risk situation, they contact Vera House from the scene and refer the case to STRIVE detectives, and participating agencies review high-risk cases together at monthly meetings.
Timeline
2024: STRIVE initiative launched.
Monthly: Participating agencies meet to review high-risk cases.
Legal Context
STRIVE adapts the Danger Assessment (DA) lethality screening approach, developed by researcher Jacquelyn Campbell, into a shorter 11-question tool for patrol officers. The program places that risk framework inside routine police response in Syracuse and Onondaga County.
Residents who experience or witness intimate partner violence in Syracuse may encounter officers who can contact Vera House from the scene. Anyone seeking support can contact Vera House directly for help connecting with services.
The takeaway
Coordinated screening at the scene can connect people to support before a situation escalates. Anyone who needs help with domestic violence can reach out to local victim service providers such as Vera House.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Law Enforcement reporting on how local police agencies handle cases in Syracuse.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WSTM.
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