Former St. Charles Police Officer Receives Award After Founding Groups to Assist Domestic Abuse Victims

A spontaneous decision to become a police officer meant more than a career in law enforcement for Jim Kintz. It created a life destined for volunteerism and the foundation of two programs that help domestic violence victims from St. Charles and throughout Kane County.

Inspired by job experiences and his spiritual beliefs, the Geneva resident developed Ministry to Victims of Domestic Abuse at in St. Charles and the Fox Valley Court Watch for domestic abuse cases.

To honor his dedication to helping others, Kintz recently received the 26th annual William D. Barth Award from TriCity Family Services. The award recognizes one person each year who, through human services, has made a significant and positive impact on the central Kane County area.

Kintz believes that opportunities and timing during his career steered his volunteer involvement in the lives of others.

"It appealed to me, being able to help people," Kintz said. "It was my calling. God wanted me to be a police officer...Now, I want to say 'Thank you, Lord, for letting me help you.' I feel good because I've been able to help someone."

It all started when Kintz was working in a bank but needed to get a new job; a friend suggested he become a police officer. He took action without thinking much about it and his timing was right—he applied and was assigned to the final class of candidates being tested to fill 200 positions for the Illinois State Police. He was accepted to the force in 1958. He then briefly worked for the sheriff's department in Santa Clara County, CA, before returning to Illinois and working for the from 1968-90.

Upon leaving the St. Charles department, he then went to work for the campus police department at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, where he remained for four and a half years. He then moved to Oakton Community College in Des Plaines before retiring from his full-time law enforcement career in 1997.

A part-time job as a security officer led to a position as a domestic violence investigator for the Kane County State's Attorney's office from 1997 to 2000.

While a police officer, he had occasionally encountered domestic abuse incidents and victims while on the job. While off duty, his growing faith in God inspired him to sometimes pray with people he had helped on the job, including domestic abuse victims.

"I thought, 'This is what God wants me to do. This is how he wants to use me,'" Kintz said.

In 2004, he founded the Ministry to Victims of Domestic Abuse program at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in St. Charles, which provides victims with prayer and personal support, resources and referrals to professional agencies.

Development of the ministry program began "from scratch" because there were no existing programs to use as models, Kintz said. But by 2006, the ministry was organized and ready to help victims.

"When somebody contacts us, we sit down with them and see what kind of help she needs," Kintz said. He said about 90 percent of domestic abuse victims are women, and the men who make up the remaining 10 percent are far less likely seek help. The majority of those helped by the ministry are St. John Neumann parish members.

"Right now, we have 32 women on our prayer list," Kintz said. "One woman said she didn't realize she was a victim of domestic abuse until she read what abuse is. A lot of people think of it as 'beating.' The majority of the cases we see are controlling and manipulation."
 
Kintz's experiences also motivated him to establish Fox Valley Court Watch, which began monitoring court proceedings earlier in 2010 to ensure accountability of the justice system regarding domestic violence cases. The program serves the Kane County court system but may expand into Kendall County.

Kintz said the Kane County court system handles 1,500 misdemeanor and 300 felony domestic abuse cases a year.

"We want to make sure the court system functions in the best interest of the victims," Kintz said. He said the sentences given to offenders do not always match the severity of their crimes and the public does not understand the mindset of victims who cannot simply leave their abusers.

"It's not a question of why doesn't she leave," Kintz said. "It's a question of why does she stay. There are often many reasons why staying is valid to her, like the various 'f' words—fear, finances, family. Those reasons are valid to her. Most women fall below the poverty level when they leave their abuser. We need to understand and support her in those decisions."

Kintz also is a past president of the Illinois Crime Prevention Officers Association and a member of the Kane County Domestic Violence Task Force. He also is a volunteer for the Lazarus House homeless shelter, and serves on the 16th Judicial District's Family Violence Coordinating Council.

Miranda Barfuss, director of development for TriCity Family Services, said Kintz received the Barth Award because he "exemplifies the lifetime of volunteer human service in the community that the award is to honor."

"Jim is an exemplary volunteer because he started with the exposure to domestic violence situations in his professional life as a police officer and saw that more work needed to be done to help these victims in his community," Barfuss said. "He is a perfect example of seeing a need and leading the work to meet that need. He doesn't just minister to domestic violence victims and keep it to himself, but he organizes other people and organizations in the community to help, as well."