Domestic abuse cases have been trending upward in Grand County since 2020, according to data from the sheriff’s office shared to the Colorado Crime Statistics program.

Most notably, the county saw a nearly 67 percent jump in cases from 27 in 2023 to 45 in 2024. So far in 2025, there have been 29 documented abuse cases, although numbers have not been finalized.

To local support organizations, this upward trend represents a growing need and a sign that more survivors are seeking help.

Kristin Davidson is the victim service coordinator for Grand County Advocates, an organization that provides domestic abuse support and social services in Grand and Jackson counties. 2025 started out as a slow year — only 20 contacts reached out to her and her team before June — but this summer, calls and requests for help amped up.

“Things exploded in June and have been pretty busy ever since, which is both good and bad,” she said. “It’s terrible that people need us, but at least they know where to go.”

Providing victim support is a complex and unpredictable job, she said. Many of her clients are hesitant to label themselves “victims” or involve law enforcement.

“They don’t want their abusers to get in trouble,” she said. “Most people that call the police don’t want to see an arrest. They just want the abuse to stop.”

Davidson is able to relate to her clients more than some of them may realize, because before joining Grand County Advocates staff, she was also a client. After a violent attack from her former spouse, she and her children became the second family to move into the organization’s Hot Sulphur Springs safe house in 2011.

Two years later, she left the safe house, and was on cordial terms with her ex. With the case concluded, the pair agreed to co-parent. But shortly after she allowed him to move back into her home, his abusive behavior started up again, and she knew she made a mistake.

“I cringe to think of that,” she said, but she now understands how common that experience is among survivors. “I always tell people who feel stupid for taking back their ex that this happens so much. You are not alone.”

About Grand County Advocates

Grand County Advocates is a team of one part-time and three full-time staff members, in addition to trained volunteers. The goal of the organization is to be a community resource through services including a 24-hour crisis hotline, support group gatherings, crisis intervention, courtroom advocacy and more.

For domestic violence awareness month this October, they launched their second “Glowing Together” campaign in an effort to shed light on the often unseen issue. They are providing free purple lights to local businesses and participants who fill out an interest form agreeing to shine the lights in a public display of solidarity with survivors. Purple is the nationally recognized color of domestic violence awareness, symbolizing courage and peace.

50 businesses and organizations have signed up for this October’s campaign, according to community outreach coordinator Kayla Dorney.

“Domestic violence can often carry a heavy or ‘hush-hush’ tone in conversations, and that silence can make it harder for people to seek help,” Dorney wrote in an email. Small actions, such as shining a light or hanging an informational flyer, can reduce the stigma that holds victims back from getting help, she said.

Grand County’s domestic violence rate is significantly below the Colorado statewide average, but the Colorado Attorney General’s 2024 report noted Geographic disparities in domestic violence fatalities, with rural Colorado counties experiencing a disproportionately higher rate compared to urban areas. Domestic violence fatalities accounted for 11% of homicides in Colorado in 2024, the report stated.

Two new state laws that took effect on Aug. 6 aim to prevent future fatalities and strengthen protection for victims. HB25-1168 expands housing protections for those experiencing domestic violence, and SB25-116 ensures that courts consider domestic violence and abuse history during marriage dissolution proceedings.

At the local level, Grand County Advocates’ Executive Director Karen Crabb said the organization hopes to build on statewide efforts by expanding its offerings and community outreach, while also keeping its services confidential.

“The goal is to have a county free of violence, which is ambitious,” she said, “but we will get as close as we can to that goal.”