Here’s Why You May See Meridian PD Officers Wearing Purple

Meridian Police Department's Criminal Investigation Unit may look a little different when you see them around town as they're wearing purple this month. Here's why...

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You may be aware that October is Breast Cancer awareness month, but did you know it's also Domestic Violence awareness month? Typically, October is associated with orange and black for Halloween and pink for Breast Cancer Awareness, but the purple is for Domestic Violence awareness. The Meridian Police Department took to their official Instagram page to share this: "October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Our Criminal Investigation Unit is wearing purple to show our support for survivors and our commitment to end Domestic Violence. If you, or someone you know needs help, here are a few local resources:

Faces of Hope: 208-577-4400

Women's & Children's Alliance: 208-343-7025"

Domestic Violence Awareness is very important in our state. In fact, according to statistics from Voices Against Violence,

• 33% of Idaho women and 38.2% of Idaho men experience intimate partner violence and/or stalking in their lifetimes.

• 42% of charges for violent crime in Idaho are domestic violence-related.

• 49% of Idaho kidnapping incidents are committed by the victim's intimate partner.

These are pretty ugly statistics but they must be seen and talked about in order for something to begin to happen. This may not be something that will ever go away completely, but we need to start somewhere. If you know someone who may be in a domestic abuse situation, kindly share with them some of the local resources the Meridian Police Department shared above.