BY LESLIE A. TOOMY

The members of four local police departments take domestic violence calls seriously. And they’re doing more than just their jobs to combat it.

This year marks their fifth annual 5K run/walk-athon race to educate the public and benefit victims of domestic abuse.

“(Domestic violence calls)  are our very highest risk calls,” said Pelham police officer Anne Perriello, who has been strong supporter in the United Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Run/Walk-athon. “When you walk into a domestic violence situation, things can escalate very quickly. It is important that police officers are educated.”

The event was coordinated by a joint committee from police departments in Hudson, Pelham, Salem and Windham and took place for about an hour last Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. at the Pelham police station.

“In the past, we averaged about 75 to 120 people there,” says Perriello “Sometimes it works out to our benefit to hold it on Columbus Day. We usually get 25 to 20 preregistrations. Next year’s event will take place on Oct. 11.”

Perreillo said that in recent years, education about domestic violence has increased, and her intention has been to make sure that even if victims don’t come to the police, they will know those resources are still there for them.

What are those resources? This year and in prior years, the United Against Domestic and Sexual Violence road race has benefited A Safer Place and Bridges, two local nonprofit agencies that have been providing free shelter and support services for domestic violence victims for decades.

A Safer Place was founded in 1978 and offers 24-hour support services at 854-3552 and free shelter facilties.

Their Web site at  www.asafeplacenh.org encourages victims to develop a safety plan, access information on community resources and legal advice and review testimonials of individuals who have received help from them.

According to their data, one in two homes in America “is the scene of one type or another of relationship violence at least once a year. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence – it doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t take into account your age, your gender, or your race. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t matter how well educated you are.”

Bridges, based in Nashua and Milford, was established in 1977 with a core mission of eliminating domestic violence. They offer resources and shelter information and rely on the following values and commitments:  “trust and integrity, respect and empowerment, nonviolence, and empathy and service.”

You can contact them online at www.bridgesnh.org or call 889-0858 24 hours a day.

Perreillo said the road race provides a good opportunity for police officials to talk to everyone about domestic violence.

“People like to keep their problems outside the public eye,” she said. “The whole point of this race is to let people know we care.”

The goal of the road race has been to raise as much money as possible to keep these local non-profit organizations on track with their mission of providing aid to domestic abuse victims.

“Every dime helps,”said Perriello. “A lot of businesses donated this year. They even provided water for the road race.”