NCJ Number
155979
Journal
Gazette Volume: 57 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1995) Pages: 16-19
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The Domestic Assault Review Team (DART) for Huron County, Ontario (Canada), is a committee of agencies that collectively reviews domestic assault cases and monitors the intervention response of agencies.
Abstract
DART includes representatives of the Crown Attorney, probation services, a women's shelter, police agencies, and other community organizations involved in addressing domestic assault. Among DART's goals are to ensure that abusers are held accountable and that victims are protected and assisted; advocate for improvement in services for victims and their children, as well as offenders; coordinate interagency information flow; achieve effective communication among participating agencies; establish and monitor a domestic abuse case review process; and conduct relevant research. In addition to the review process that is ongoing, DART has examined various issues, some of which include the registration of restraining orders, the development of a consistent definition of "reasonable and probable grounds" for making an arrest in a domestic assault case, and the development of a card that lists existing services for domestic- violence victims to be issued by police to victims. Thus far, DART has proven to be an asset not only to the domestic-assault victims, but to the police and the community.