October is domestic violence awareness month.

And every October, a representative from the local shelter that accepts battered women and children and intervenes on their behalf accepts a proclamation from the Lathrop City Council on behalf of the City of Lathrop in declaring the month as such within the city.

But Lathrop Police Services Chief Danelle Hohe wants to do more than just make it something that happens on paper.

On Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m., the San Joaquin Family Justice Center, on behalf of the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office, will be holding a domestic violence awareness class at the Lathrop Community Center – located at 15557 Fifth Street.

The idea for the event came from Hohe as a way to educate the public about what domestic violence is and how to deal with situations before they come violent.

Earlier this year a man shot his wife and then killed himself before deputies were able to enter the residence. In 2012 a man was arrested after murdering his wife with a screwdriver in front of his two children – both of which were injured the attack. Raising awareness, according to Hohe, is one of the tools that law enforcement plans to use to hopefully talk about the underlying issues and how to prevent instances before they escalate to violence.