MONADNOCK REGION, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) At the close of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, local leaders urge systemic reform and collaboration to protect victims and prevent future harm.

As Domestic Violence Awareness Month came to a close, Winchester Police Chief David Rice and Renee Monteil of the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention (MCVP) reflected on the urgent need to repair what they describe as a “fractured” system in New Hampshire—one that too often leaves victims without the safety net they need.

Both Rice and Monteil have spent their careers on the front lines of domestic violence response—Rice from a law enforcement perspective and Monteil as an advocate helping survivors navigate the aftermath. Together, they are calling for deeper collaboration between police and service organizations, arguing that lasting change depends on trust, communication, and a community-wide commitment to prevention.

“It seems like every police department here is an island unto itself,” Rice said. “There’s not a lot of cross-communication, cross-referencing… and some people are going to end up dying because of that.”

Rice, who previously worked in Massachusetts and holds a master’s degree focused on domestic violence prevention, has seen a very different approach just across the border. In Massachusetts, he said, agencies regularly share information, standardize reports, and focus resources on high-risk offenders. In New Hampshire, by contrast, he described law enforcement agencies as largely isolated, bound by restrictive laws—such as a 12-hour window for warrantless arrests on restraining order violations—that limit their ability to respond effectively.

“The criminal justice system is a very blunt object,” Rice said. “We’re not arresting our way out of this.”

For Monteil, the conversation often returns to the survivors she works with every day—many of whom face impossible choices between safety and survival. “Fifty-seven percent of the women we work with who are unhoused became that way because of domestic violence,” she said. “We tell people to leave, but where do they go? You can’t just get an apartment anymore—it’s not available.”

A former doula, Monteil said her work supporting pregnant and postpartum women often intersected with domestic violence, which remains the leading cause of death for women during and shortly after pregnancy. The connection between those two roles, she said, was “not such a huge jump.”

The pair agreed that the path forward will take more than stronger laws or arrests—it will take a generational shift in how communities view and respond to abuse. Rice has joined MCVP’s board and is pushing for a more formal partnership between police and advocates, something he hopes will lead to a seamless “warm handoff” for victims in crisis.

Monteil echoed that hope, saying that the more openly people talk about domestic violence, the more likely survivors will come forward. “I think the more we talk about it, the less shame is going to be attached to it,” she said.

Both she and Rice stressed that solving the problem will never come from a single policy or program—it will happen one survivor, one family, and one act of support at a time.

“We can’t pass one law or come up with one big solution that fixes this,” Rice said. “But if we can help one person be successful, that’s where it starts.”

Their message at the end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month was clear: awareness is only the beginning. What must follow is long-term, coordinated effort—from police, advocates, policymakers, and community members alike—to ensure that every survivor has a path to safety and every community takes responsibility for preventing violence before it begins.