Domestic Violence in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Families
As members of the public safety community we are keenly aware of the prevalence of domestic and family violence in the community. Officers know first hand how unpredictable such calls are and consider domestic violence calls to be among the most dangerous to handle. Dispatchers often burn out and become cynical and disinterested in dispatching on domestic calls because of the repetitive nature of domestic violence calls and the all too often familiar outcome, which, too often, means no outcome.
As a psychologist I am all too familiar with the after effects of domestic violence, both on the victims as well as the perpetrators, and have seen entire communities shattered by the violence that such relationships can perpetrate. Rarely, however, do officers or dispatchers want to admit that they themselves can be the victim, or perpetrator, of domestic violence or abuse. Most times I find out after I have been called out to respond to a situation in a division, or after hours at home. Too often I find myself standing in the middle of someone’s living room looking at the torn fragments of a family who had, until this last terrible moment, managed to keep their secrets buried until the situation exploded and an outside agency was called in to intervene. Many times alcohol is involved, and far too often infidelities and financial tension are contributing factors to the cycle of abuse....
To continue reading Domestic Violence and Law Enforcement: contact us