Domestic abuse is terrible. We all know that. However, the policy in Norristown, PA could make it even worse if you report it too many times. The city’s “three strikes” policy is unbelievable, but, as one abuse victim found out the hard way, all too real. The policy states that if the police are called to a residence for “disorderly behavior” three times, the residents can be evicted, as landlords and tenants are penalized for these police responses. The horrifying twist to this policy is that this includes punishing victims of domestic violence.





Lakisha Briggs, a resident of this town and a victim of domestic abuse, was a victim of this disgusting policy. Afraid of losing her home, Briggs was forced into silence and did not report the violence she suffered at the hands of her now ex-boyfriend – even when he abused her with a brick and stabbed her in the neck with a knife. However, other people called the police during these instances, who threatened her with eviction over the incidences, even though she was the one who was the victim of these crimes.

Luckily, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and ACLU of Pennsylvania got involved, and, even though the city had threatened Briggs with eviction, they did not carry out said threats, and agreed to repeal the ordinance. However, they still quietly passed one that is virtually identical. Yesterday, the ACLU, ACLU of Pennsylvania, and Pepper Hamilton law firm filed a Federal lawsuit on behalf of Lakisha Briggs.

Though cities across the nation have similar laws to the one in Norristown, they violate the First Amendment right to petition the government, which includes calling the police. They also violate the Violence Against Women Act, which protects abuse victims from eviction. Further, it violates the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination based upon sex.

These laws, often called “crime ordinances” or “nuisance ordinances” are dangerous to women. They really show what a misogynist, “blame the victim” culture we live in, and they scare abuse victims into silence. No matter what things say on paper, we still live in a rape culture, in a culture of abuse and disrespect and discrimination against women, and laws like this only make women become afraid to speak up. Further, people who say that the women should leave these situations are simply deluded. Abuse is often the after-product of control, and the women in these abusive situations are likely controlled in other ways- namely financially. When this is the case, leaving is often not an option without help, and laws like these ordinances scare victims into silence, perpetuating a vicious cycle of fear and abuse, often costing them their very lives. Shame on the people who make and support these laws. You have blood on your hands.