The Role Police Officers Play in Domestic Violence - Research Paper Example

The Role Police Officers Play in Domestic Violence People think of police officers as men and women in uniform whose primary role is to roam the streets and ensure peace and order in the community. They are perceived as public servants who must uphold every person’s human rights and protect individuals from harm or illegal acts. When there are untoward incidences in the community such as violence within a home, it is the police officers that most people run to for assistance. In line with this, police officers have an important role to fulfill in situations concerning domestic violence because domestic violence is a serious crime that must not be ignored. Overall Roles of Police Officers Police officers assume four major roles in the following areas: a) law enforcement, b) order maintenance, c) provision of miscellaneous services, and d) convenience norm enforcement. They are expected to fulfill their various roles and duties. In every community, individuals and community groups have expectations on police officers. These expectations are various that it led to the distinction between different set of roles of police officers: prescribed, preferred, and enacted. Prescribed roles refer to those that the law required of the police. Preferred roles refer to the roles that the society requires the police officers to fulfill. Enacted roles are the tasks that the police officer carried out that may or may not be in accordance with public desires (Gaines and Kappeler 16). Interestingly, the role of police officers is complex and demanding. They are not just the heroes who chase suspects in cars or engage in deadly shootout with criminals. Most of the time, police officers assume many roles as the society requires them. They are “peacekeepers, upholders of the law, and mediators” (Stering 4). They must maintain public peace in accordance with their motto which is to serve and protect. Stering further assesses that police officers “put on several hats” whenever they respond to a call. At times a police officer must take on the role of a counselor, lawyer, negotiator or other roles to address concerns of a particular call (4). Their role varies depending on the “size, location, and philosophy of the police department” (Rafilson 106). This means that at some point, a police officer’s role may not just be limited to solving traffic pileups or responding to accidents. Rafilson adds that the role of a state police may differ from that of a small-town police or big-city police. One of the roles of the state police is to respond to routine problems such as of stranded motorists. Small-town police, on the other hand, are tasked to maintain public safety and order in the community. Big-city police have a smaller role. This is due to the fact that in these areas, there are other agencies that respond to certain tasks. For instance, the traffic department personnel are tasked to handle traffic situations; medics are responsible for health situations that are beyond first aid; social workers are responsible for handling crises concerning adults, children, and battered women and so on (106). Domestic Violence The statistics concerning domestic violence is an indication of the severity of this problem. In the United States and around the world, the number of domestic violence cases, wherein most of the victims are women, is increasing. According to the Office of the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney, domestic violence is the primary cause of injury among women in the 15-44 age group in the United States. Annually, there are about three to four million women beaten in the confines of their homes by their husbands, lovers, or ex-husbands. This translates to one woman beaten by a husband or male partner every 15 seconds. A woman can experience domestic violence regardless of her background, religious affiliations, occupation, and socio-economic status. Furthermore, “police report that between 40% and 60% of the calls they receive, especially on the night shift, are domestic violence disputes” (Office of the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney). Roles of Police Officers in Domestic Violence The role of police officers in domestic violence has been under changes the same way that domestic violence cases were handled over the centuries. Interestingly, the society initially did not perceive domestic violence as criminal behavior. In fact, the criminal justice agencies concurred that “a man is free to do what he wishes in the privacy of his home.” Police officers also perceived domestic violence as something between a nuisance and a dangerous situation that must be avoided (Butzer, Bronfman, & Stipak). Feminist movements and other events during the 1960s were among the factors that helped law enforcement recognize that domestic violence is a crime. The initial police response was not hopeful. Police officers argued that arrests were not as helpful as they were envisioned to be. As a result, advocates filed lawsuits against police officers who did not enforce the law. Afterwards, they introduced the legislation in states which showed the responsibility of the police officer. By this time, most states have listed that domestic violence is a crime (Butzer, Bronfman, & Stipak). In the past decade, domestic violence legislation required the following steps. 1. The legislation determines if there was a crime out of the hands of the victim to the officer. Notably, police officers were hesitant to make arrests when the victims did not admit that they were abused or hurt. The new legislation aims to increase the frequency of domestic violence-related arrests. Along with this, the laws allow the police officer to make arrests if he has “probable cause” to believe that a crime occurred despite the victim’s refusal to cooperate. In some states, police officers have the power to arrest in situations like this, and they are liable if they do not make arrests (Butzer, Bronfman, & Stipak). 2. The legislation includes the relational conditions that surround a domestic violence situation. It may be different in every state, but the following relationships fall under the category “family”: spouses; former spouses; adults related by blood or marriage; adults who cohabited; individuals who had a child together. The legislation also includes the parameters of domestic violence. State laws require evidence of physical injury in determining whether an incident is of domestic violence. Furthermore, state laws provided the victims tools for defense such as restraining order, and violations of such comprise a felony offense (Butzer, Bronfman, & Stipak). The following cases show the roles of police officers in domestic violence specific locations: Case 1: San Diego San Diego is chosen for this paper due to the changes that took place since November 1986 concerning how domestic violence cases are dealt with. This was a time when a judge was accused of beating his pregnant girlfriend. Although Joseph Davis was acquitted, the case served as an eye-opener for the way domestic violence cases are handled within the San Diego Police Department. The case also spearheaded the two largest law enforcement-related Domestic Violence Units (DVU) in the United States. Presently, the San Diego City Attorney’s DVU employs full-time and volunteer staff consisting of 30 workers, and it is the largest prosecution unit in the United States handling misdemeanor cases related to domestic violence. The San Diego Police Department’s DVU, on the other hand, employs 20 detectives, three sergeants, and eight volunteers, all of whom work full time, handle more than 1,200 cases every month (Gwinn & O’Dell 1). The Joseph Davis case helped point the way for law enforcement to search for efficient intervention policies to better handle domestic violence cases. In particular, police officers and prosecutors work together to handle domestic violence cases. It is also notable that criminal justice system professionals resort to early intervention before assaults or homicides occur. In addition, the common trend now is to focus on the abuser, and policies that tend to blame the victim are eliminated (Gwinn & O’Dell 1). Interestingly, there was a common trend in how domestic violence cases were handled during the 1980s. In domestic violence incidents in San Diego and in most cities, police officers were expected to write reports of the incident. Prosecutors, on the other hand, dismissed cases when the victim was unwilling to press charges against the abuser. One of the policies of the City Attorney and District Attorney was a refusal to file charges if the victim did not want to press charges. The case would be dismissed if the victim failed to cooperate. According to Gwinn and O’Dell, a police report usually consisted of two to three paragraphs and was barely used as witness statements. There were also no photographs to show evidence of assault. In short, domestic violence cases did not require much of time and energy since the caseload for most police officers and prosecutors were small (2). Gwinn and O’Dell further add that police officers spent too many hours on domestic violence calls, but nothing or little happened after arrest. In addition to this, most of police departments expected their officers to take the role of a social worker or counselor rather than enforcers of the law. Unfortunately, abusers would be back to his home even if he was arrested. It was also commonplace for a repeat offender to be arrested a couple of times. Should there be charges filed, these were dismissed or reduced later, especially when the victim recanted. The inefficient handling of these domestic violence cases led to frustration and much of victim blaming. On the part of the police officers, they felt that their efforts were put to waste. Moreover, many of them perceived the victim as the reason for the “never-ending cycle of violence, police intervention, and violence again” (2). One of the common trends in relation to law enforcement’s response is the increasing importance of the police officers’ role in using task forces, councils and working groups in the community. However, police officers, and prosecutors alike, were hesitant to take on a leadership role to combat domestic violence in the community. The reasons were related to the changes that took place during the past years. For instance, most of law enforcement agencies were not on the cutting edge of intervention efforts. This led to the perception that shelters were the enemy and advocacy groups controlled the district attorney’s office (Gwinn & O’Dell 6). Fortunately, police officers today recognize the benefits of involvement and leadership within the community. There are also protocols that cover guidelines on the following: Initial police response Preliminary investigation Evidence gathering Follow-up investigation Training Advocacy Gwinn and O’Dell stress that the most effective approach focuses on two questions. The first question asks, “Can we prove this case without the participation of the victim?” The second question asks, “If not, will the victim participate with law enforcement by testifying truthfully?” The authors further emphasize that this approach is most efficient because it enables police officers to create a case even if the victim is frightened to cooperate while at the same time taking into consideration the need for victim advocacy. Investigation must incorporate interviews of all witnesses including children, a record of all statements of the victim, a documentation of prior incidents and photos. These things allow prosecution even if the victim later fails to cooperate (Gwinn & O’Dell 8-9). Case 2: Portland, Oregon Portland is also chosen for this paper due to its creation of the Domestic Violence Reduction Unit (DVRU) in 1993 as a response to the escalating number of domestic violence crimes. Portland’s DVRU was one among the few units in the United States which handle domestic violence cases. The changes in police work and in law enforcement strategies are attributed to several factors. One of these is the efforts to “de-politicize and professionalize police forces.” This led to the implementation of a command model for the institution or agency and to the routinizing of policies and procedures. Another factor is technology and science which transformed police work. These presented an opportunity for law enforcement agencies to further evaluate their strategies and also for the community to evaluate the agencies’ actions (Butzer, Bronfman, & Stipak). Certain events in the past have further redefined the roles that police officers play within the community that they serve. One event was the civil rights movement which turned the spotlight to the activities of the police and to the changes that must take place in law enforcement agencies. During these times, crimes were still increasing. This evidence alone was indication for the need to look deeply to the problems of enforcement. Even with the number of individuals incarcerated, the society perceived police officers negatively. As a result, enforcement agencies experimented with community policing. Advocates have also recognized that crime can be reduced when the barriers between police officers and local citizens are eliminated. This has a significant impact on law enforcement, most especially to the role of the police officers in domestic violence (Butzer, Bronfman, & Stipak). With the creation of DVRU, local citizens stressed that in reducing domestic violence crime, “the police must intervene in the cycle of violence by increasing the prosecution of perpetrators and by supporting and ‘empowering’ the victim” (Butzer, Bronfman, & Stipak). In line with this, the police must behave accordingly. They were expected to enforce the law and at the same time be an advocate for the victims. Police officers were further expected to fully cooperate with public safety agencies and to create specialized units that would create strategies for reducing or preventing domestic violence. These strategies are meant to empower victims and improve enforcement (Butzer, Bronfman, & Stipak). In Portland’s DVRU, a police officer contacts each victim of each domestic violence case a few days after the incident took place. The officer acts as a counselor during this contact with the victim. Then he conducts further investigations to determine whether to carry out an arrest. During this phase, the officer takes the role of a counselor and a traditional police officer. Aside from these roles, trainings are provided for police officers to familiarize with their various responsibilities (Butzer, Bronfman, & Stipak). These roles are what make police officers the jack of all trades. While most people view them as crime fighters and protectors, their roles go beyond crime fighting. Police officers especially have important roles to take in the reduction of domestic violence crimes. They may take the role of a counselor, lawyer, and even advisor. This is not as easy as it looks, as sometimes conflict of roles arises. In particular, the San Diego and Portland cases show the important roles of police officers in combating domestic violence crimes. Works Cited Butzer, David, Lois Martin Bonfman, & Brian Stipak. “The Role of Police in Combating Domestic Violence in the United States: A Case Study of the Domestic Violence Reduction Unit, Portland Police Bureau.” National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 1996. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. . Gaines, Larry K. and Victor E. Kappeler. Policing in America. Massachusetts: Elsevier, 2011. Print. Gwinn, Casey G. & Anne O’Dell. “Stopping the Violence: The Role of the Police Officer and the Prosecutor.” 1992. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. . Office of the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney. “Fast Facts on Domestic Violence.” N.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. . Rafilson, Fred M. Master the Police Officer Exam. New Jersey: Peterson’s, 2008. Print. Stering, Larry J. Introduction to Criminal Justice. California: Wadsworth, 2010. Print. Read More