Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, YWCA Western Massachusetts CEO Elizabeth Dineen and Sheriff Shuffle Race Director Davis Snow speak about the rise in domestic violence.
Reminder Publishing Photo: Sara Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — Each year the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office hosts a charity 5K walking race to benefit local organizations that support the local community. This year’s race will benefit a personal cause for Sheriff Nick Koch: the YWCA of Western Massachusetts’ domestic violence prevention and support efforts.
On April 14, Cocchi’s executive assistant, Eileen Monahan, was the victim of a murder suspected to be her boyfriend, Chicopee firefighter Jason Chapdelaine.
“I’m disappointed in myself,” Cocchi said frankly. “I’ve always supported domestic violence. [programs]but [the Sheriff’s Office] It wasn’t enough to just be a support organization. You don’t have to hit them directly to get involved. For me, it’s all-in.”
The Sheriff’s Shuffle was started by Koch’s predecessor, Michael Ash, and has been running for about 20 years. The event raises funds for the organization through race registration fees that year, and Sheriff’s Shuffle Race Director Davis Snow said hundreds of people participate every year. Registration is $35 per person through Sept. 28 and $40 on race day.
“It’s a really fun, family-friendly event,” Snow said. On-site registration and check-in will be between 9 and 10 a.m. at the Holyoke Elks Lodge, 250 Whitney Ave., Holyoke. The 1.5-mile walking trail begins and ends there. The 5K race will take place at nearby Ashley Reservoir. After the race, the Elks Lodge will have live music, raffles, games, prizes, food and drinks. On-site parking is limited, but shuttle service is available from the overflow parking lot. Participants will receive a free long-sleeve Dry-Fit Sheriff Shuffle shirt upon registration. “We make sure everyone who signs up gets a shirt. People love them,” Snow said with a smile.
“It’s all about bringing awareness and support to community agencies,” Snow said. “The more people that attend, the more awareness there is.”
This isn’t the first time the sheriff’s office and the YWCA of Western Massachusetts have partnered: The 2022 Sheriff Shuffle raised more than $110,000 to support the YWCA’s domestic violence services and outreach efforts.
“There are people who don’t feel safe when they go home every day, when they walk to work every day,” Cocchi said, calling the abusers “a despicable act of degrading others to feel powerful.” The result, he said, is “senseless deaths” and crimes that victims will never forget.
Cocchi reiterated that anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, regardless of gender, but added, “Let’s be honest, it’s more prevalent among women.” According to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, 47.3% of women and 44.2% of men have experienced domestic violence. Cocchi also said that members of the LGBTQ+ community are at higher risk.
Koch shared other statistics on the issue: One in five murders is committed by an intimate partner, and 60% of children in the country have witnessed domestic violence against a parent. According to Sheriff’s Department data, of the 1,202 people in custody as of July 23, 15% were being held on domestic violence-related charges. Of those 180 people, 92% were male and 8% were female. The average age of these people was 36, but adults up to 68 years old were being held on domestic violence-related charges.
“Compared to 2019 inmates, today’s offenders tend to be more violent and abusive, as evidenced by the charges they are facing,” a press release from the Sheriff’s Department said.
The increase in domestic violence and abuse is not unique to Hampden County. A February 2024 state report revealed a significant increase in domestic violence incidents in the years following the coronavirus pandemic. Domestic violence homicides increased 56% in 2022 compared to the previous year, and aggravated assaults increased from 5,690 in 2020 to 6,102 in 2022.
Cocchi said she “couldn’t think of a better cause” to raise money for through the Sheriff Shuffle. “There are big problems in the region and the country.” People who can’t attend the Sheriff Shuffle can donate to the YWCA, she said. “Even if it’s just a small donation, if thousands of people give, it makes a big difference,” Cocchi said.
The YWCA of Western Massachusetts provides a 24/7 hotline for people experiencing domestic violence.
In 2022, the YWCA of Western Massachusetts received 6,516 calls to its hotline and served 1,895 people through its local programs. CEO Elizabeth Dineen said help from the YWCA is always available, including weekends, nights and holidays. “Our team is available,” she said. For those who don’t feel comfortable calling, the YWCA headquarters at 1 Clough Street in Springfield has a dedicated staff available for walk-ins. People can take advantage of an on-site shelter for women and their children fleeing abuse. If the shelter is full, Dineen said, the organization arranges for people in need to stay in hotel rooms.
“Domestic violence hurts women, it hurts men, but it hurts children especially,” Dineen said. Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to become involved in domestic violence as adults, she said.
The YWCA provides counselling programs for children who witness such violence.
The YWCA provides staff to hospitals and assists sexual assault victims with obtaining rape kits, and also offers court support services, housing assistance and financial independence programs.
When asked what he thought might be causing the rise in domestic violence, Cocchi asked, “Yesterday, someone was arrested for domestic violence and attempted rape of a partner and released on bail. What’s the punishment? What’s the outcome?” Cocchi said he supports recent state criminal justice reforms, but said the focus has been on investigative efforts, not on protecting victims, “especially repeat offenders.”
According to Sheriff’s Department data, 29% of domestic violence suspects are scheduled for release between this week and late 2026. More people convicted of domestic violence charges are scheduled for release in 2023 (11.4%) than in 2019 (8.7%). Those released were 25.7% more likely to commit a violent crime.
Dineen pointed to another factor for the rise in domestic violence rates. “The reason it’s getting worse is because there’s too much stress in society. It’s building up,” she said, explaining that COVID-19 has created stress and isolation, as well as economic problems, which contribute to domestic violence. Dineen also noted that the country’s current political climate is full of uncertainty. “And people don’t know how to deal with stress, so they take it out on the people they love, or think they love, because hitting is not love,” she stressed.
Dineen and Cocchi agreed that education is the best prevention. The YWCA visits high schools to educate people about human trafficking and “what a healthy relationship looks like,” Dineen said. “It should be part of the curriculum in middle school, high school and college, because a lot of relationships start in college,” Cocchi said of intimate partner violence prevention programs. The Sheriff’s Department runs a program for inmates arrested on domestic violence charges. “We’re not going to just have them sit there and get angry. We’re going to get them to therapy, we’re going to educate them, we’re going to get them to look in the mirror.”
For more information about the Sheriff’s Shuffle, to register or donate, visit runsignup.com/SheriffsShuffle5k.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault or abuse, please call the YWCA hotline at 413-733-7100.
The Spanish sexual assault hotline is 800-223-5001.
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