GPPD Chief Ronnie Morris Discusses The Christine Blubaugh Act

Tuesday on the evening edition of The Chad Hasty Show, Grand Prairie Assistant Police Chief Ronnie Morris joined the program to talk about the urgent need to bring awareness to the growing trend of violence in teenage dating relationships.

Morris spoke about his personal experience in responding to the March of 2000 murder of Christine Blubaugh, a Grand Prairie teenager who was in an abusive dating relationship and was murdered in a field by her ex-boyfriend, who the committed suicide. "It really hit me hard and it has has impacted me ever since that day, that such a young girl, with her whole life ahead of her, had her life stolen from her by someone that she trusted, by someone that she loved," Morris said.

Morris said that dating violence is so widespread that one in three Texas teens are in a violent relationship:

This being such a scourge in our state, and there being so many young victims of dating violence and domestic violence in particular, to not arm our kids with the tools that they need to defend themselves against something that adults have a difficult time defending themselves against, I think is a dangerous gap that we need to get filled.

The Christine Blubaugh Act (SB1109), now proceeding through the 87th Texas Legislature, would require continuing education in Texas schools about awareness of domestic and dating violence, and needs your legislator's support.

Listen to the entire interview with Assistant Police Chief Ronnie Morris in the player above.