How Police Are Trained to Respond to Domestic Violence

Domesticshelters.org

The protocols for responding to domestic violence can help survivors know what to expect

"Domestic violence has been found to constitute the single largest category of police calls in some cities. When police officers respond, they know the situation can be volatile for both them and the abuser’s victim. That’s because the killer in almost one third of female homicides is an intimate partner, and 22 percent of officer "line of duty" deaths in recent years occurred while responding to domestic violence calls.

Day One

“ 'What the [police death] stats don’t really capture is all the law enforcement officers that are killed in the line of duty on traffic stops, serving protection orders or serving warrants [to domestic violence offenders],” says Michael P. LaRiviere, a police officer who does domestic violence training for national organizations, including the National Sheriffs’ Association.

“ 'I’ve seen a connection between offenders who murder police officers and a record of domestic violence,” LaRiviere says. “They’re dangerous people. They’re about power and control, and law enforcement officers represent the authority to take away their freedoms.”

"This explosive combination has led 95 percent of law enforcement agencies to develop policies that officers are asked to follow when responding to domestic violence calls, and 85 percent also require officers to participate in specialized domestic violence training. Nearly half of the departments now have separate units devoted to domestic violence cases.

"What Police Are Trained to Do

"While policies differ from city to city, it can be helpful for survivors to understand the common threads for how police are trained to respond. The first concept is to treat domestic violence calls as a high priority or a life-threatening situation. Because of this perspective, and importantly for survivors to know, many departments will continue to respond even if the victim cancels the request." . . .Full article...

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1999 Florida policy models for police responding to domestic violence
"RESPONDING TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, MODEL POLICY NUMBER TWO FOR FLORIDA LAW ENFORCEMENT:" . . .