The shelter is pulling the one part-time worker position that it supplied to the unit, she said. The worker, called an advocate, provided general support to victims, giving them information on available services including protective orders and where they can go for shelter, counseling and legal help. Alvarez said the unit will remain effective even though it no longer has a worker from the shelter. He said the unit will still have an advocate from the Nueces County Victims Advocate Office and will continue to tell victims about all options available to them. He said the domestic violence unit encourages all victims to seek protective orders because they can help police combat domestic violence.
Police can arrest anyone who violates a protective order.
But Steinocher said protective orders usually don't protect victims from physical harm. Prosecution for violations is rare, Steinocher said, because authorities often have no evidence other than the victim's word that the order was violated. In a letter to Steinocher dated Nov. 24, Alvarez wrote that his department has heard no complaints about the unit's officers. The domestic violence unit began operating Sept. 1. Alvarez has said the unit would focus on following up on domestic violence calls to link victims with services from counseling to legal aid to a program that provides cellular phones to victims so they can keep in close contact with police.