With the cold rain falling on downtown Jamestown on Friday afternoon, people gathered at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena to show their support for victims of domestic violence everywhere.
The 12th annual Walk Against Domestic Violence took the group down Third Street to City Hall.
Umbrellas and banners were in the hands of those who marched to show that no matter how much rain may fall, they stand united for the victims.
"Every morning I wake up, I am thankful that we live in such a safe city," said Greg Rabb, City Council president. "But it saddens me that there are so many people in our city that are not safe in their homes."
Rabb's sentiments were echoed by County Executive Greg Edwards and the other dignitaries and members of the judicial system present at the ceremony.
"During my 18 years in practicing law, a significant portion was in family law," Edwards said. "I've represented families that were impacted by domestic violence and I understand how serious the issue is. We are lucky to have so many capable and dedicated people working on the issue in our county."
Amber Milks, an advocate with the Jamestown Police Department's domestic violence investigative unit Project Crossroads, said that the caseload is never light and that they see "too much" domestic violence every day.
Members of the Chautauqua County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault joined in solidarity, and held a moment of silence for the victims everywhere.
The keynote speaker, Deputy Elizabeth Fildes of the Erie County Sheriff's Department, spoke about her daily dealings with human trafficking and how it can relate back to domestic violence.
"What we see is that many of these victims are stowed away silently in the rural areas, and some are taken advantage of by family members," she said. "Some of the ways victims are forced into these situations is by sexual assault or abuse to de-humanize them. Many times, there is a familial relation there and the victims are stuck."
She explained that in the U.S., human trafficking is the third-largest illegal money maker behind the drug and weapons trades.
Ms. Fildes explained that as the program director for the Human Trafficking task Force and Alliance in the western district of New York, she has seen corruption extend up the ladder of public trust, and victims of every race and ethnicity.
"Recently we took down a judge who was taking girls from western New York to Pennsylvania," she said. "It is fitting that he started serving his sentence today as we are working to eradicate the issue."
