St. Paul officials mark five years of effort to end domestic violence

Amelia Analesse Ramirez's pink baby onesie stuck out among the adult T-shirts lining the table inside the St. Paul Police Department's Western District Headquarters — each representing a someone killed by domestic violence.

Amelia, just 13 months old, died March 15, 2014.

The T-shirts were the backdrop as Mayor Chris Coleman and St. Paul officials met Thursday to mark five years of the Blueprint for Safety initiative, which aims to stop domestic violence and deaths like Amelia's.

The effort includes police, prosecutors and other criminal justice groups who work together to identify best practices and patterns of abuse. For instance, officers who respond to domestic violence calls ask victims a series of questions to build context and find a pattern.

Officials praised the collaboration as a factor in reducing the number of domestic violence cases in the city. From 2008 to 2014, the city saw the number of domestic violence calls drop from 9,557 to 4,885. So far in 2015, calls are down by 400.

Coleman noted that Thursday's event came amid a "flareup of violence" in the city, but he praised the reduction in domestic violence. Of 10 homicides in St. Paul so far this year, four were related to domestic violence, Coleman said.

"I'm so grateful for a community that has stood behind victims of domestic violence," the mayor said. "We pledge to continue our work together."

Bree Adams Bill, Blueprint for Safety coordinator, said initiative encourages agencies to work together at all levels to stop violence from happening.

"Silos are replaced with joint systems of communication," she said.

St. Paul Police Chief Thomas Smith shared a personal story of domestic violence at the event. He said he almost lost his daughter to domestic violence.

While his daughter got out of her situation, he said, others are not as fortunate.

Amelia Ramirez died of "blunt force trauma" after her father punched her, pulled her hair and threw a cup at her, according to a criminal complaint. He told police he hit the child because he was upset with her mother.

In another case, Samirria White, 19, was found shot dead on Easter morning. According to police, her boyfriend, Dimitri D. Harrell, shot White while he held their baby.

"That hurt me to my core," Smith said. Harrell was charged with second-degree murder. He pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced last month to 30½ years in prison.

The Blueprint for Safety effort is continually evolving to be more inclusive, including serving victims of the LGBTQ community, Adams Bill said.

"We have the ability to respond to opportunities to save lives," she said.

Beatrice Dupuy • 612-673-1707