Starting the conversation

COEUR d'ALENE - Al Williams looked into the camera and spoke with conviction: "We need to do more about violence in our community."

Doing more is just what the North Idaho Violence Prevention Center hopes to accomplish through its new public service announcement campaign, which features men speaking out against domestic and sexual violence in Kootenai County.

"This is a serious topic," said Williams, who serves as North Idaho College's director of athletics.

Williams, of Post Falls, grew up in inner-city Chicago, worked in leadership with mental health and drug abuse treatment centers and has seen the pain and ugliness of violence firsthand.

"I've seen some of the NFL commercials on how this is done and how they're trying to curtail and diminish domestic violence in our community and especially in the sports industry," he said. "It's a message that's trying to get across strongly, so I'm aware of the need. And with all the unfortunate incidents we've had in the paper and the media the last few months, there's been a lot more exposure, but it's well beyond the time we've been needing to address this."

Several men in the community were invited to participate in the public service announcement taping, which took place Thursday in the Kroc Center. NIVPC executive director Katie Coker of Spokane explained that the PSA is modeled after the "No More" campaign, which features snippets of celebrities discussing different aspects of domestic violence and sexual assault while opening a dialogue and pressing for "no more" of these issues.

"The first one that I saw was different actors and actresses getting up and dispelling a lot of rape myths," Coker said. "One would say, 'Oh, it doesn't count because she was drunk,' or things like that that are just cop out excuses.

"The format I really liked."

Coker began with a long, diverse list of positive male role models she wanted to include, but for time and convenience purposes, she narrowed it down to about 10.

"We have a lot of wonderful male leaders in this community that I feel like do really champion this cause, and it might be nice to give a forum for that voice," she said. "We tried to do some people in leadership roles, but also kind of some boots on the ground and then do a wide sector. In some ways that made the project a little bit harder because there are so many different messages that are at each of those levels."

One familiar face viewers will see when the PSA airs is Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Detective Sergeant Ken Lallatin of Hayden. Lallatin is in charge of the special victims unit, which is responsible for investigating crimes against children as well as the registered sex offenders in Kootenai County. He is also a founding board member for the North Idaho Children's Advocacy Center.

"It was a great honor to be asked," he said. "I think the message that North Idaho Violence Prevention Center is trying to get out to the public is really important, and one that's probably oftentimes overlooked by a lot of people."

He couldn't elaborate much because of confidentiality purposes, but he said there is "absolutely" more domestic violence and sexual assault happening in our community than most people realize. He encourages potential victims to seek help immediately - children can go to trusted adults, teachers, counselors and family members, and adults can use resources such as the NIVPC, law enforcement and even health and welfare.

Lallatin said he thinks the male-centered PSA campaign is incredible and he is pleased to be a part of it as someone who works with abuse and violence victims on a daily basis.

"At the end of my career, I want to be able to look back at it and know that I made a positive difference," he said.

"We call it 'engaging men,' but I think we really want to engage our whole community," said vice president of the NIVPC board Debbie Myles of Coeur d'Alene. "What I hope is that this really embraces everyone in the community and just sheds a little more on the fact that it's a terrible problem."

The PSA will be presented at the Stop Violence Breakfast: Engaging Men in the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn on March 19 (reservations required) and Coker said she is hoping for it to air on CDATV by early April. The PSA will also be on YouTube and other social media by that time.

Info: www.nivpc.org, www.facebook.com/events/ 1516516591967565 or call 755-0604 to RSVP for the Stop Violence Breakfast.