State audit finds some calls to domestic violence hotline went unanswered

ALBANY — An audit found calls and text messages to a hotline for the state agency charged with preventing domestic violence occasionally went unanswered.

The audit from the state comptroller’s office discovered significant issues with the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence's hotline that limit its effectiveness.

Auditors noted that the office's oversight of the hotline "is crucial to ensuring that victims of domestic violence have access to assistance when they need it." They added that delayed responses or unanswered calls may discourage callers from reaching out for aid, potentially prolonging abusive situations.

The hotline was created in 1981 to provide confidential resources and support for victims. In 2021, the office began using a private contractor to operate the hotline. Between 2019 and 2024, it received more than 56,000 calls.

Kelli Nicholas Owens, the office’s executive director, said it has been developing corrective actions and putting them in place throughout the audit process.

"Our focus is simple: make sure survivors can access the services and support they need, when they need them," she said in a statement.

From December 2024 through June 2025, auditors made 25 phone calls and sent 25 text messages and 20 web-based chats to the hotline as part of their audit.

For the phone calls, 20% did not connect to a representative. Instead of an automated greeting, the auditors just heard continuous beeping, indicating the call failed to connect.

A review of the hotline call logs confirmed it was a problem. Out of 2,814 calls during a 60-day window, 170 did not connect, including the test calls, according to the report.

Auditors found a similar issue with text messages. Three of 20 texts were unanswered, and six others did not receive responses within the contractually required 30-second window.

The hotline also struggled to handle translations for non-English speakers. Of the 12 texts and eight online chats sent in languages other than English, 25% were either not translated or mistranslated. In one case, a text sent in Chinese received a response in Japanese. In another, a text in Urdu received an response in Arabic.

The audit found a number of other issues, including that the office failed to create legally required domestic violence prevention programs designed for senior centers. The Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence cited a lack of funding as the primary reason the programs were never created.

"The prolonged failure to implement senior center-based prevention programs increases the risk that this particularly vulnerable population will not have access to domestic violence survivor resources," auditors wrote.

The state comptroller’s office recommended the office overhaul its policies to ensure the issues identified in the audit are corrected in a timely manner. It also recommended it increase oversight of grant recipients to ensure they are meeting program goals and delivering on their contracts.