Johnson County DA Honored

Coalition awards its Community Ally of the Year Award

Topeka, KS, 2/12/2015 – Steve Howe, Johnson County District Attorney, received the Community Ally of the Year Award from the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV). Howe was awarded the honor during KCSDV’s 12th Annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets Awareness Day and Sunflower Safety Breakfast event in Topeka on February 12.

Since 1995, KCSDV has been recognizing outstanding advocates and allies who are working to enhance victim safety, to increase perpetrator accountability, and to prevent and eliminate sexual and domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in Kansas.

“Steve Howe is a leader and partner in our community to help stop domestic violence and meet the needs of victims and their children,” said Janee’ Hanzlick, President and CEO of SAFEHOME, Johnson County’s domestic violence agency. SAFEHOME nominated Howe for the award.

Howe took office in 2008 and his leadership has resulted in significant cooperation with community partners in a new and innovative way. During Mr. Howe’s tenure, he has been successful in advocating for enhanced bond conditions for domestic violence offenders and in implementing a lethality assessment conducted on the scene of domestic violence calls by law enforcement officers across the county.

“This kind of ally to sexual and domestic violence work is exactly what this award is about,” said Joyce Grover, executive director of KCSDV. “Mr. Howe’s leadership and partnership is what makes a community’s response to domestic violence most effective,” said Grover.

“Because of Steve, Johnson County was the first county in Kansas to implement a collaborative Lethality Assessment Program to reduce domestic homicides. Most recently, Steve served as the Chair for SAFEHOME’s successful $3 million capital campaign to expand shelter, counseling and children’s services. Steve’s dedication to ending domestic violence is worthy of this recognition,” said Hanzlick.

Other award winners at this year’s event included Ministry Against Domestic Violence in Great Bend for the other Community Ally of the Year Award; Angie Blumel from Kansas City for the Juliene Maska Outstanding Advocate of the Year Award; Karen Pyles from Kansas City for the Volunteer of the Year Award; and the Art Circles project of the Family Crisis Services, Inc. in Garden City for the Project of the Year Award.

Photos available upon request.