NCJ Number
166505
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 63 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1996) Pages: 42-49
Date Published
1996
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article examines the handling of domestic violence cases when the abuser is a police officer.
Abstract
A random survey of law enforcement agencies examined policies, or the lack of policies, governing the internal investigation of employee-involved domestic violence cases. In most jurisdictions, the issue had yet to be addressed. When officers were dispatched to incidents of domestic violence involving a co-worker, any policy or law regarding enforcement of domestic violence procedures was quickly abandoned. Responding officers would often speak only briefly with the suspected abuser and dismiss the call without any further investigation, written report, or check on the spouse's welfare and safety. Law enforcement agencies need to develop clear policy guidelines for the investigation of and intervention in cases of domestic violence when the abuser is a member of the law enforcement community. In addition, Internal Affairs investigators should receive adequate training on all current laws and policies pertaining to domestic violence. The article includes elements that might be included in criminal and administrative investigations of employee-related domestic violence; suggested procedures for serving domestic violence injunctions when the respondent is an employee of the serving agency; and a list of domestic violence training resources.