There’s an office on the 14th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center where a special team works — trying to help those experiencing domestic abuse.

“Domestic violence, I think, is a crisis here,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. “We see the numbers going up, and that’s tragic.”

A recent high-profile case last week in Moriarty’s office raised the issue of domestic abuse in the community.

Hennepin County operates the Domestic Abuse Service Center, in A-14 of the Government Center in downtown Minneapolis, which focuses on helping those touched by violence get help, guidance, and support.

The center has been around since the 1990s but fairly recently moved into the new space.

“It takes so much strength and bravery to walk through those doors,” said Siri Lokensgard, DASC director. “To have the option to work [with] someone who looks like them, speaks their language, or understands the different cultural barriers.”

DASC Staff handle a variety of services, including protection orders, finding shelter and basic needs.

There’s no appointment required for a person to stop into DASC for assistance, staff said. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Last year, center staff assisted more than 22,000 people who needed help from domestic abuse in Hennepin County.

Moriarty wants more people to learn that the center can be a vital resource. “Some people want to get out of the situation; we will try to help with that,” Moriarty said. “Some people don’t want to get out of the situation; they just want the violence to stop, so we will try to help with that.”