Following a surge in domestic violence fatalities, Los Angeles County supervisors are moving to overhaul the system that survivors rely on for court-ordered protection.
The threshold for safety in Los Angeles County is being pushed to the forefront of the Board of Supervisors’ agenda as officials scramble to address a fractured system. On Tuesday. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath introduced a motion demanding “bold action” to fix how the county handles domestic violence and stalking. a move co-authored by board chair Hilda Solis.
The urgency is rooted in a grim reality. Between 2024 and 2025. at least 63 women in the county were killed by a former partner or close relative—a staggering figure that represents more than 40% of the 156 women murdered during that same period. At least 10 of those women had taken the step of filing for a restraining order. yet they still lost their lives.
“A recent story spoke to the process of domestic violence restraining orders and the work done and not being done across the county to support survivors in need of this critical support. ” Horvath said. The motion, set for a vote during the Nov. 10 board meeting, seeks to bridge the gap between policy and protection.
The disconnect is well-documented. In July 2024. the county’s Office of Violence Prevention released a report outlining over a dozen recommendations to curb domestic violence homicides by streamlining access to restraining orders. Most of those suggestions remain untouched. stalled by what officials describe as insufficient funding and a lack of coordination between the multiple agencies tasked with managing the system.
The proposed motion forces a shift in accountability. If passed. it would require reports from the county’s chief executive. the Sheriff’s Department. and departments ranging from Mental Health to Homeless Services to assess current failings and funding gaps. It also aims to make “Gender-Based Violence and Intimate Partner Violence” a formal priority for the Board of Supervisors. signaling a change in the county’s institutional posture.
Financial commitments are at the center of the plan. which calls for millions of dollars in annual funding for nine county-run self-help legal centers. Beyond legal paperwork. the motion tasks the Office of Violence Prevention with creating a “peer navigator model” to guide survivors through the complex system. and requests an assessment from the Department of Homeless Services and Housing on the resources needed to provide emergency beds for all victims fleeing violence.
“We know that domestic violence restraining orders protect survivors and I believe the board must take every step possible to better support and protect our survivors,” Horvath said. “The county must step up and lead in this space.”
The gap between the 2024 recommendations and today’s inaction highlights the bureaucratic hurdles embedded in the current system. By forcing multiple agencies to report on their coordination efforts and funding needs. the board is attempting to bypass the institutional silos that have left the Office of Violence Prevention’s initial plan effectively sidelined for over a year.
Los Angeles County domestic violence restraining orders Lindsey Horvath Hilda Solis public safety