Omaha, Nebraska – In an effort to support survivors of domestic violence, the State of Nebraska has recently introduced a notification system that provides critical updates on protection orders. Available at ProtectionOrders.Nebraska.gov, the system sends alerts to survivors and their advocates, notifying them of when a protection order has been served and when it is 45 days from expiration.
Katie Welsh, Vice President of Programs at the Women’s Center for Advancement (WCA), shed light on the significance of protection orders. “Protection orders are quite prevalent because they’re a very important step to achieving safety for survivors,” she remarked, adding, “It’s a complicated process and I think this is the court system’s way of perhaps demystifying some of it.”
The expiry of a protection order, which typically occurs after one year, necessitates a renewal that may involve the survivor having to demonstrate evidence of a new traumatic incident in court. This system, therefore, can play a pivotal role in preventing a lapse in protection by providing timely expiry alerts.
Douglas County, as per Welsh, is responsible for half of the state’s protection orders. In fact, the WCA completed 416 protection orders last year and 245 in the first half of the current year.
Balancing a professional life and other legal proceedings such as divorce or custody cases, along with managing the aftermath of domestic violence, can be challenging. Welsh indicated that survivors often fear losing their jobs due to the time taken off for court proceedings or relocation.
Registration for these alerts can be done by providing a court case number and the name of the offender or respondent, with the choice of receiving notifications via phone or email. Welsh emphasized that survivors should liaise with service providers such as the WCA to secure a safe and independent means of receiving these notifications.
“We can work on getting a safe email address or somehow getting those notifications to a place that the survivor can receive them and utilize them, but that the risk that the abuser doesn’t have access to,” she noted.
To reach out to the WCA, click here, or dial their office number at 402-345-6555. They also provide a 24/7 crisis hotline at 402-345-7273 and accept walk-in appointments at their office on 38th and Harney during weekdays.
