RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, one in three women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, and victims are often controlled and monitored by abusive partners, limiting their ability to seek help; and
WHEREAS, in March of 2015, the Ohio Attorney General's office partnered with a program sponsored by the Professional Beauty Association Foundation to identify victims of domestic violence; and
WHEREAS, this program trains salon workers to identify victims of domestic violence or human trafficking by recognizing indications of domestic violence, and leverages close relationships with clients to assist them in seeking help or to notify authorities of a potential domestic violence situation; and
WHEREAS, the Ohio board of cosmetology plans on training the board's 120,000 licensees on how to recognize the signs of domestic violence and the proper information to pass along; and
WHEREAS, if such a program was implemented in Chicago, licensed salon workers could also receive beneficial training on the signs of domestic violence, empowering and educating salon workers on ways to protect themselves and their clients; and
WHEREAS, it is beneficial and appropriate for the City Council to explore the efforts of other governments to protect victims of domestic violence; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council, through its Committee on Public Safety, shall conduct hearings, inviting advocacy groups for victims of domestic violence, law enforcement experts, trade associations and other appropriate parties, to address the suitability and benefits of such a program for the State of Illinois and the city of Chicago.
Alderman, 39tn Ward