This issue is one of the gravest within our society today, as there are many factors that cause domestic violence to take place within a household. And so today my friend, I will share with you the Police role along with the steps that they take in order to respond properly in all aspects of domestic violence.
And what is domestic violence?. It is the occurrence of one or more of these acts: Any battery, felony battery, simple battery, stalking, criminal trespass, unlawful restraint etc. And domestic or family violence can be between parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, past or present spouses, lovers, other people living within the same household – past or present. And important to note, that people living in a “ Dorm “ and who have a dispute do not fall under “ Domestic Violence “, since each room is a separate living unit.
And really many have lost their lives during domestic violence, and many others have been maimed or left paralyzed. As well, others have suffered excruciating mental and mood disorders from such ordeals; and not only the ones who were involved but also the little young children who were inside that environment. So the Police is contacted to offer assistance and relief from family violence and domestic disputes, the Police Officer(S) already know that this is the number one place for an Officer to get killed. Even though the Police were not perpetrators or original parties to these forms of disputes and violence.
When the Police show up, they have only 3 steps that they can take to deal with this grave situation.
And they can either: Mediate -- Refer -- Arrest.
-- Mediate in trying to calm down each party and talk down the situation.
-- Refer by giving out contact phone numbers, or make calls to different agencies.
-- Arrest by identifying the perpetrator (S) of the crime.
As well, the Police must ascertain certain key aspects of the situation. Such as: Does the residence have a history of domestic violence?, or does this history involve weapons or are there any now?, and was an arrest made previously for such a violation?, when was the last call – due to family violence or domestic dispute from that residence?. Also, are there any children at the scene of the incident and are both parties of the dispute still at scene?.
The Police must establish all these things very quickly, since things can escalate very fast as well because of highly elevated emotions, hate, anger, resentment, embarrassment and betrayal among many things. So as you can see, the Police have a very tough job to do all the while trying to be safe themselves in an unfamiliar environment, where everyone seems to know where everything is (Guns, knives, sticks etc.) except them. And for this reason among many, 22 percent of Officers are killed when responding to domestic violence, while 40 percent receive some type of injury during these calls.
Also important to know, the Police must do these 3 main things as well when responding to a scene of domestic violence or domestic disputes.
1. Stop their lights and siren far enough away. Do not stop in driveway of residences, and do not part in front of property.
2. They must look in windows for signs of weapons in the possession of the parties involved, and to be able to do this, they are covered under the “ Plain View Doctrine “. All the while avoiding to shine light at windows.
3. The Police must listen to about 10 to 15 seconds for what is going on inside such as: Shouting, making threats, screaming, objects being thrown against the walls. They must also avoid the use of walkways, doorways. And they must turn down the volume on Police radios, also they must avoid going in alone even if the residents or parties do say come in.
And dear friend, the Police must do all these 3 main things, not to be sneaky, but to protect themselves from this unfamiliar environment. As they too have loved ones who are counting on them returning home after work and who need them just like you need yours. And important to note the old saying: “ Blood Is Thicker Than Water “, and it has been known that even though the Police was called by one or both parties involved in the domestic violence or family dispute, they will just as quickly reunite and turn on the Police when they're trying to subdue a perpetrator. And sometimes, the same people that were fighting and arguing before, will that same night or the very next day be friends, lovers, parents, children all over again to one another. Your legal rights advocate, James Dazouloute
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