BY SAM STERN — The Hyattsville Municipal Building was flooded in purple in October to participate in “Purple Lights Nights” to raise awareness for domestic violence. Hyattsville was one of 11 Prince George’s County municipalities which participated in the initiative that coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“The Office of the Sheriff’s Purple Lights campaign is a unified effort to raise awareness of domestic violence. The campaign encourages purple lights on city buildings and porches as a way to show our support,” said City Administrator Tracey Nicholson during the Oct. 19 Hyattsville City Council meeting.
The Purple Light Nights campaign included cities in 30 states, Canada, and Guam, according to a Prince George’s County press release. “As law enforcement we always hope for an opportunity to prevent a crime from happening. We completely agree with the goal of awareness as a tool of prevention because the more citizens know about domestic violence, the more likely they are to urge a victim or an abuser to seek help,” said Hyattsville Police Chief Doug Holland.
The Prince George’s County Office of the Sheriff presented the event, with many other county agencies and businesses also partnering in support. The campaign included many other events during October to shine a light on domestic abuse.
