The Delaware County Prosecutor's Office has charged 50 adults with felony strangulation and 37 with felony domestic violence, officials said at an Oct. 6 commissioners meeting.
Nicole Ford, executive administrator for the prosecutor's office, presented the figures as the county recognized October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, according to Delaware Source. Ford also reported 35 juveniles charged with domestic violence and one juvenile charged with strangulation.
Ford attributed the numbers to 2026 cases filed through early October. However, Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa Schiffel cited the same figures as 2025 totals in an Oct. 3 op-ed in the Delaware Gazette.
Most of the 37 adult felony domestic violence charges were elevated to felonies because the defendant had committed domestic violence more than once, Ford said.
"Every day in Delaware County, there is a domestic violence incident — more than one probably," Delaware County Sheriff Jeff Balzer said at the Tuesday, Oct. 6 meeting.
The sheriff's office received 446 domestic violence calls and took 139 official reports through early October 2026, NBC4 reported.
Commissioner Jeff Benton said the county's relative wealth does not shield residents from domestic violence. He called it "not a socioeconomic relationship."
In her op-ed, Schiffel wrote that among the 50 strangulation victims, 41 were women and nine were men. Six were children. Two were pregnant. Schiffel described strangulation as one of the most dangerous forms of abuse because it can leave few visible marks.
She also noted that in juvenile domestic violence cases, 28 of 36 victims were adults between ages 25 and 59. That pattern suggests many young people are directing violence at parents or other caregivers in their homes, Schiffel wrote.
The prosecutor's office planned to mark the month with purple ribbons on Sandusky Street and a T-shirt display outside its doors honoring domestic violence victims the office has supported.
Turning Point CEO and President Amber Scott also spoke at the Oct. 6 meeting. The nonprofit provides free, confidential services to domestic violence victims across six Ohio counties, including Delaware County. Commissioner Benton said the organization's local shelter was long overdue.
The shelter serves men, women and their children with temporary housing, food, clothing and limited transportation. Turning Point operates a 24/7 hotline: (800) 232-6505 for callers outside Marion County, or (740) 382-8988 for Marion callers. Residents seeking help with a civil protection order can reach the prosecutor's Victim Services Division at 740-833-2710.
