Madeline Garcia-Bigelow testifies for Domestic Violence Project

Good afternoon, Chair Farias and members of the committee.

Thank you so much for holding this hearing.

My name is Madeline Garcia-Bigelow.

I'm the founder and managing director of the Domestic Violence Project housed at the Urban Justice Center.

I have worked on behalf of survivors for 33 years as a DV prosecutor in the Bronx, a civil attorney, and now as a founder.

In the eight months of this administration, at least six high-profile domestic violence homicides have taken place in New York City.

LaVey Williams, Angelique Apostle, Erica Caldwell, Yesenia Hall, Maria Ines Granda,

and Dana Foley.

And yet, we have not heard the mayor condemn domestic violence clearly and unequivocally, even after each of these homicides.

New York City has spent more than a quarter century building a dedicated survivor-centered system.

In 2001, through City Charter, the Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence was created.

And then in 2018, the mission was expanded and it was renamed NGBV.

But these aren't simply titles.

They embody and symbolize years of advocacy, of conversation, and education led by survivors and providers.

It was built with survivors and providers.

And even though it collaborates with...

really closely with law enforcement in the courts, it is decidedly distinct from that.

Executive Order 15 folded that work into the Office of Community Safety.

Consolidation in and of itself is not a disqualifier, but DV is not interchangeable with gun violence interruption or general mental health response.

Survivors have distinct safety planning needs.

They have distinct confidentiality protections and a justified wariness of anything that looks like general public safety.

During July's quarterly crime stats press conference, Commissioner Tisch noted a 6% reduction in major crimes, but pointed out the felony assaults remained flat, with DV accounting for 42% of those assaults.

Since the executive order, providers and survivors have not been included in any real conversation about what comes next.

So when restructuring happens in silence, survivors cannot tell whether a service still exists, advocates can't make accurate referrals, and decades of expertise risk being deprioritized.

And the need is growing.

Since January, in the eight months of this administration, my team of 23 has opened 2,069 new cases.

Our warm line has answered 1,267 calls, more than all the calls received in 2025.

Over 65% of our clients are immigrants, and most of them are undocumented.

In the most recent issue of City and State asked about the DSA's strong showing in the June primaries, the mayor said his most important goal is delivering for New Yorkers,

that he is less interested in narrowing who he works with than in expanding who can sit across the table from.

So we take him at his word.

Mayor Mandani, invite us to the table.

We ask this council to use its oversight authority to secure a commitment to a survivor-centered, survivor-led policy-making process with an actual, real seat at the table for the survivors and the providers.

Again, thank you for holding this hearing.