By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Officials opened the Pima Family Advocacy Center in midtown Tucson on Friday, creating a centralized location for domestic violence survivors to access resources that were previously spread across the city.
Read more Second jobs keep Tucson teachers in profession, but at what cost?
The center, located near Tucson Boulevard andBroadway, brings together 15 nonprofits offering services ranging from therapy and victim advocacy to divorce and family legal assistance, alongside law enforcement.
Joseph Ricks, executive director of the Pima Family Advocacy Center, said the idea grew out of his time as a prosecutor.
“I used to be a prosecutor over at the county attorney’s office, and I got tired of only being able to give people phone numbers and say, ‘ Hey, call these 15 different phone numbers,” Ricks said.
Previously, survivors had to navigate multiple agencies — including the Tucson Police Department, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the Pima County Attorney’s Office — often traveling across town to access services.
Lt. Zach Barghout of TPD’s Special Victims Section said the center’s environment is intended to lower barriers for survivors.
“They can come in, feel comfortable, disclose what they need to, and have everything under one house,” Barghout said.
Barghout added that getting survivors through the door is itself a significant step.
“I think the victimology of it too, of they don’t want to leave the situation they are in. So I think getting through the door is already an accomplishment, and for them to encounter something that is so low-key is going to encourage them to finally change something about what is going on at home,” he said.
Read more Armed man barricaded in Marana home
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said officials studied similar facilities in California and Texas before opening the center, and that data from those programs informed the approach.
“Because of that data-driven success, we know that if we are getting into preventative measures and we are getting into root causes, we are going to literally drive down the number of domestic violence cases we have to later prosecute,” Conover said.
Conover said the center shifts the focus from reactive to preventative measures.
“The ripple effect is profound, and this is how we get into crime prevention and the heart of public safety,” she said. “We need to meet people where they are.”
Ricks said the potential impact of the center justifies the effort, regardless of scale.
“If we can save one life, if this can stop one homicide, everything in here is worth it,” he said.
The Pima Family Advocacy Center is currently open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Officials said they hope to expand hours to 24/7 and are fundraising for an additional medical wing.
Are you streaming 13 News?
Watch a free live stream of Tucson Now and 13 News at TucsonNow.Live.
Be sure to download the free Tucson Now app, which you can find on Apple and Google.
If you are using a desktop computer, you can use your mobile device to scan the QR code below.
Read more Man arrested for beating 3-year-old to death over potty training, sheriff’s office says
You can submit your breaking news or weather images here.