LEWISTON – In the aftermath of a domestic violence attack, there is chaos. For police, the first steps are obvious. They get medical treatment for the victim and arrest the offender. Then the court works out details like punishment and restraining orders. The wheels of justice turn, and everybody tries to move on.

In Lewiston, police fear secondary victims of domestic violence are being overlooked. A new program created by local police will seek to identify and help children from violent homes. It’s a first-of-its-kind program, and one that is considered long overdue.

“Right now, we do a good job of keeping in contact with adult victims of domestic violence. We need to do more for the children,” said Sgt. James Minkowsky, the department’s Youth and Family Service Supervisor.

With help from a Department of Justice grant, police have created a new position called the Children of Domestic Violence Early Intervention Coordinator. It’s a long title but the duties of the job are clear. The coordinator will work directly with school officials to identify kids from violent homes.

Hired for the job earlier this summer was Kat Perry, who for the past four-and-a-half years worked with the Sexual Assault Crisis Center.

“Kat comes with a tremendous amount of experience,” Minkowsky said.

Perry will meet with children from violent homes and coordinate with school officials, police and others to determine the kids’ needs. She will also work with the non-offending parent and refer the child to any of a host of available services.

“We want to give them a different perspective from what they are seeing at home. We want them to see that things can change and things can improve,” Perry said. “I’ll also be following up with them once we’ve made the referral.”

Children from homes where violence is common may exhibit signs of stress or abuse in the classroom. They may fall asleep in class, become disruptive or aggressive. The children may do poorly in school because of day-to-day stress at home.

“They are concentrating so much on what may happen when they get home, they cannot focus in the classroom,” Perry said.

Of course, there is also the possibility that children from tumultuous homes will never make it to class. Parents who fight may not have time to get the kids ready for school. Long nights of uncertainty may leave the childrem too exhausted to wake up in time for the bus.

In her new job, Perry will be working closely with Wallace “Butch” Pratt, a 25-year police veteran and now the director of transportation and truancy with the local school system. Pratt will help Perry spot children at risk through truancy records and other means. Once those pupils are identified, Perry will be able to speak with them and assess what kind of service they need.

“This may put pressure on the non-offending parent to make better choices, for themselves and for their children,” Minkowsky said.

In Lewiston, police have already initiated a program in which officers stay in contact with adult victims of domestic abuse. Police go to the home to make sure an abuser, court-ordered to stay away, is not back harassing or abusing the victims.

“Those domestic checks have been overwhelmingly successful,” Minkowsky said. “It’s been very well-received.”

Perry’s position is the first of its kind in the state and, perhaps, the first in the nation.

The $34,000 grant awarded to the Lewiston Police Department was received under the auspices of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program aimed at keeping guns off the streets.

Minkowsky said police will strive to have weapons removed from unstable households, but the focus of the new program will be on helping children who come from homes where violence is common.

“This is all about the kids,” Minkowsky said. “It’s about all those kids who are exposed to domestic violence.”

[email protected]