Nearly 2,500 domestic violence-related calls went to St. Johns County law enforcement last year. Those calls resulted in 128 assault and battery cases and one stabbing, according to a proclamation the county commission adopted Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Commissioner Krista Joseph presented the proclamation on behalf of the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners at the board's regular meeting, designating October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Betty Griffin Center, the county's primary shelter and services provider for domestic and sexual violence survivors, received the proclamation.

The numbers are striking.

The figures represent a sharp increase from the data cited in a similar October 2024 proclamation, which referenced more than 1,000 domestic violence-related law enforcement reports and four domestic violence-related homicides in the prior year. The two proclamations use different terminology — "calls" in 2026 versus "reports" in 2024 — so the figures may not be directly comparable. Neither proclamation named the agency that compiled the statistics or specified the exact reference year beyond "last year."

Joseph, who represents District 4, has presented the county's Domestic Violence Awareness Month proclamation in previous years as well. She attended the Betty Griffin Center's annual breakfast in February 2026 alongside Commissioner Christian Whitehurst and County Administrator Joy Andrews, according to a county news release.

The Betty Griffin Center, founded in 1990, operates a 54-bed emergency shelter, six transitional apartments and a 24-hour hotline. The nonprofit also runs Rape Care Centers at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine and at Ascension St. Vincent's Hospital at 205 Trinity Way in St. Johns, according to county records. Kelly Franklin serves as CEO.

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners typically meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Residents who want to address the commission can sign up for public comment at the meeting or contact the county through its website at sjcfl.us.

Residents seeking help can call the Betty Griffin Center's 24-hour help line at (904) 824-1555 or visit bettygriffincenter.org.