Safe Berks Held 25th Silent Witness March
The event honored domestic violence homicide victims with a memorial walk in Reading.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Violence
Participants marched from Safe Berks to the Miller Center for the Arts on Tuesday for the 25th annual Silent Witness March. The event added seven new red silhouettes to a memorial honoring local victims of domestic violence.
Why it matters
Held during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the march aims to highlight the persistence of domestic violence and connect survivors to critical, 24/7 support services.
Safe Berks has documented 96 domestic violence homicides in Berks County since 1999, with seven new victims added to the memorial this year. The agency continues to advocate for all local police departments to adopt the 2005 lethality assessment program.
The players
Safe Berks
This organization provides 24-hour domestic violence support services and facilitates community awareness initiatives in Reading and Berks County.
Miller Center for the Arts
Located in Reading, this venue served as the endpoint for the annual memorial march organized by Safe Berks.
The details
Attendees carried red silhouettes to represent individual lives lost to domestic violence, with this year's additions including five men, one boy, and one woman. The organization promotes the use of a law enforcement questionnaire designed to evaluate risk levels for victims and expedite their connection to necessary advocates.
Timeline
The 25th annual Silent Witness March occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
Safe Berks began tracking domestic violence homicides in Berks County in 1999.
The lethality assessment program was created in 2005 by the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence.
Legal Context
The march emphasizes the importance of the lethality assessment program developed by the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence to improve victim protection. Local advocacy efforts mirror broader national trends that seek to standardize police response protocols in domestic violence investigations.
Residents can access support services 24 hours a day through Safe Berks if they or someone they know is at risk. The ongoing training of local police in lethality assessments aims to improve the effectiveness of safety interventions for high-risk individuals in the community.
The takeaway
Domestic violence remains a critical public safety issue that requires consistent community engagement and standardized law enforcement protocols. Survivors and their families are encouraged to utilize 24/7 advocacy services to ensure they are connected to protective resources as quickly as possible.
Further reading
For more information on community safety, visit the Violence section.
