County protective order unit will remain open during county’s holiday schedule closure
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- El Paso County administrative offices will be closed from December 23rd to January 2nd; however, the Protective Order Unit which handles domestic violence cases will remain open.
A protective order is a legal document signed by a judge to protect a victim against:
- Acts of family violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
- Harassment or threats against the victim
- An abuser going near a school or daycare to protect a child; or
- An abuser going near a victim's residence or place of employment.
The Division Chief of the County Attorney's Protective Order Unit, Aaron Setliff, says they normally see an increase in protective orders around the holiday, so the department felt it was important to remain open.
"You can imagine that there might be, stressors on families and, violence or threats of violence can happen over the holiday period. In fact, over the last week, we've seen an uptick in the applications," Setliff said.
The Protective Order Unit will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, but people are still able to fill out an application 24/7.
As a reminder, victims of domestic violence can apply for protective orders online. If you have questions they can also be reached at (915) 273-3242 or by e-mail at CAProtectiveOrders@epcountytx.gov.
