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Intimate partner violence and homicide knows no boundaries; not race, ethnicity, social and economic conditions, or gender. It is epidemic everywhere around the globe and families have suffered since the day that Cain murdered his brother, Abel. Family violence, and the toll it takes, is deeply ingrained in every culture. Why?

Every day the headlines cover another story of a person murdered or missing at the hands of someone who was supposed to love and care for them, many who have evil born in their hearts. For decades we have been trying to stop the flood of violence in America’s homes, but often it feels like the little boy with his finger in the dyke as the waters of violence swirl all around threatening to drown everything good about our family life.

It seems like solving family problems with violence has become commonplace in our society, and finding solutions with critical thinking, communication, and peaceful interaction has taken the back seat. It takes even more than a village to find the solutions, especially when many incidents of intimate partner violence are perpetrated by those in positions of power. It’s in these cases that a victim has even fewer resources available, and nowhere to turn for safety.

Police Chief Larry Rhinehart

Bexley, Ohio Police Chief Larry Rhinehart joins Shattered Lives Radio to discuss his role in domestic violence prevention and advocacy. Currently serving as the board president for Choices, a direct service provider to victims of violence in central Ohio, Rhinehart has a personal stake in the prevention of intimate partner violence and homicide after losing his sister. Chief Rinehart was the recipient of the 2004 Choices Peacemaker award for his efforts against domestic and relationship violence.

He served as a police officer for the Gahanna, Ohio, Police Department for over 13 years, serving as a patrol officer, community police officer, patrol sergeant, operations sergeant, operations lieutenant, and deputy chief of police for over six years. Rinehart also served as a SWAT member and team leader for over six years.

Chief Rinehart served 12 years as a full-time soldier in the Ohio Army National Guard prior to beginning his law enforcement career in 1994.

Rinehart achieved a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio in January, 2005. His undergraduate degree is in Organizational Leadership and Management and Human Resource Management.

He also completed the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command in 2007.

Rinehart is an active and accomplished public speaker and writer. He is an activist against family and relationship violence and provides many presentations each year on the topic to groups of all sizes. Rinehart also authored two booklets on the topic of relationship violence and two books on leadership and leadership vision.

Chief Larry Rhinehart’s advocacy roots began the first time he told the story of his sister Laura’s murder. He’s shares this story for everyone in his recently published book, Stopping Relationship Violence – One Cop’s Experience (Notes from the Desk of an Unexpected Chief)

Shattered Lives: Intimate Partner Violence and the Chief of Police Larry Rhinehart