RURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT RURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAININGDOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAINING

What Information is ImportantWhat Information is Important

What’s HappeningWhat’s Happening

LocationLocation

Suspect PresentSuspect Present

WeaponsWeapons

If the Caller is the VictimIf the Caller is the Victim

Understand the victim’s level of Understand the victim’s level of fear. fear.

The primary consideration is the The primary consideration is the victim’s safety.victim’s safety.

Use a calm, controlled voice. Be Use a calm, controlled voice. Be aware that the victim’s level of aware that the victim’s level of emotion over the phone may not emotion over the phone may not correspond to the level of violence correspond to the level of violence that is occurring.that is occurring.

If the Caller is the Victim If the Caller is the Victim cont.cont.

Ask if the victim if she can Ask if the victim if she can speak freely.speak freely.

Be aware that suspects may Be aware that suspects may have scanners.have scanners.

Use “code” to talk with the Use “code” to talk with the victim – if the suspect is still victim – if the suspect is still present.present.

If the Caller is the Victim If the Caller is the Victim cont.cont.

Obtain information from the Obtain information from the victim about the past, i.e., the victim about the past, i.e., the number of times she’s called number of times she’s called law enforcement, highest level law enforcement, highest level of previous violence, previous of previous violence, previous use of weapons, information use of weapons, information on valid orders of protection, on valid orders of protection, etc.etc.

If the Caller is the Victim If the Caller is the Victim cont.cont.

If possible, encourage the If possible, encourage the victim to go to a safe place victim to go to a safe place and wait until the officer(s) and wait until the officer(s) arrives.arrives.

If that’s not an option, keep If that’s not an option, keep her on the telephone until the her on the telephone until the officer(s) arrives.officer(s) arrives.

Safety ConcernsSafety Concerns

Dispatchers Dispatchers should notshould not cancel law cancel law enforcement response to a domestic enforcement response to a domestic violence complaint based solely on a violence complaint based solely on a follow-up call. Advise the follow-up call. Advise the responding officer(s) of the call. The responding officer(s) of the call. The officer(s) should check the welfare officer(s) should check the welfare of all present at the scene and of all present at the scene and determine if a crime was committed.determine if a crime was committed.

Safety Concerns Safety Concerns cont.cont.

Know the hang-up procedures. If Know the hang-up procedures. If a call is disconnected, call back. a call is disconnected, call back. If the victim is disconnected or If the victim is disconnected or hangs-up, the dispatcher should hangs-up, the dispatcher should call back and send an officer(s) call back and send an officer(s) to the scene.to the scene.

If the Caller is Not the VictimIf the Caller is Not the Victim

Try to obtain as much as Try to obtain as much as information as possible.information as possible.

Treat the call the same as an Treat the call the same as an in-progress domestic in-progress domestic violence situation and send violence situation and send two officers, if possible.two officers, if possible.

If the Caller is Not the VictimIf the Caller is Not the Victim cont.cont.

If the suspect answers the If the suspect answers the phone, the dispatcher phone, the dispatcher should establish neutral should establish neutral ground to help de-escalate ground to help de-escalate the situation and keep the situation and keep those at the scene those at the scene involved.involved.

Language & Cultural Language & Cultural ConsiderationsConsiderations

Language BarrierLanguage Barrier Cultural Considerations - Be Cultural Considerations - Be

respectful of cultural differences respectful of cultural differences by maintaining an objective and by maintaining an objective and professional demeanor.professional demeanor.

Eliciting Important InformationEliciting Important Information Victim safetyVictim safety Re-assuranceRe-assurance Stay on the telephoneStay on the telephone Danger / lethality assessmentDanger / lethality assessment Specialized questioning techniques, Specialized questioning techniques,

i.e., coding in the event the victim i.e., coding in the event the victim can’t speak freelycan’t speak freely

Nature of the call (emergency or “in-Nature of the call (emergency or “in-progress”)progress”)

Language and Cultural ConsiderationsLanguage and Cultural Considerations

Dispatch InformationDispatch Information

What information is important What information is important to you when responding to a to you when responding to a domestic violence call?domestic violence call?

Have you communicated this Have you communicated this to your dispatch center?to your dispatch center?

Preserve and Use Information Preserve and Use Information for Prosecutionfor Prosecution

Preserve 911 tapes and Preserve 911 tapes and dispatch printouts.dispatch printouts.

Retention schedule – to make Retention schedule – to make sure they are kept beyond this sure they are kept beyond this case disposition for use in case disposition for use in potential future cases.potential future cases.

Record nature of the dispatch Record nature of the dispatch call and information from call and information from dispatch in their report.dispatch in their report.

Preserve and Use Preserve and Use Information for ProsecutionInformation for Prosecution

cont.cont. Including the narrative report Including the narrative report from the dispatcher is important, from the dispatcher is important, especially if recordings are especially if recordings are notnot available. The dispatcher can available. The dispatcher can document excited utterances, document excited utterances, background noises, and other background noises, and other information admissible in court.information admissible in court.

Enabling Performance Enabling Performance ObjectivesObjectives

Distinguish what information Distinguish what information is important.is important.

Understand how to elicit Understand how to elicit important information.important information.

Recognize the ways that this Recognize the ways that this information can be preserved information can be preserved and used for criminal and used for criminal prosecution.prosecution.