Killings amid spike in domestic violence, COVID grip

Bergen County remains in the eye of ‘hurricane’

When COVID-19 first struck New Jersey in the spring of 2020, domestic violence experts worried that quarantines, lockdowns and social distancing measures would send incidents skyrocketing in both number and intensity.

A year-and-a-half later, it looks like they were right. And a handful of bloody killings in Bergen County — including two in the last three weeks — have confirmed their fears in the worst possible manner. 

“The pandemic has been cruel for domestic violence,” said Julye Myner, executive director of the Center for Hope & Safety, a victims services nonprofit in Rochelle Park. “We are beyond the perfect storm — we are in a hurricane right now.” 

Experts and authorities alike acknowledged that domestic violence rates worsened during COVID and have remained high, even as state-imposed restrictions loosen and life returns to something closer to “normal.”..… READ MORE…