I was called from dispatch to a case of a domestic violence call at Cheap & Cozy Apartments. Upon arrival I was approached by the victim Emily Sherman, a white female. I observed her hair messy, a torn left shirt sleeve, and a swollen right eye. I was informed by Mrs. Sherman that her husband, the suspect, Gary Sherman punched her in the face after she confronted him about his “gambling and drinking problem”. I was also informed by Mrs. Sherman that Mr. Sherman has a violent temper and frequently “beats her” when he has been drinking. The victim allowed me to enter the apartment and there I observed Mr. Sherman pacing in the kitchen. I was told by Mr. Sherman to “Get the hell outta here, cop!” I then questioned Mr. Sherman and he informed me
On May 31, 2018 at approximately 1445 hours, I was dispatched to the lobby of the Port Richey Police Department located at 6333 Ridge RD Port Richey, FL in reference to a domestic violence injunction violation. Upon my arrival, I made contact with the complainant, who was identified by her Florida identification card as Alice Lorraine Lindahl. Alice was with a witness, who was identified by his Florida identification card as David Carl Koorey.
My homicide case began when the Shreveport Police Department (SPD) received a call from a male caller via 911 reporting he found a body of a black male found in a park near a cul-de-sac in a residential area. I was dispatched and responded to the scene. Upon arrival, I began steps documenting the crime scene. I initiated a rough sketch of the scene and initiated my field notes. A cordon was initiated as I began identifying possible evidence and identifying witnesses and suspects. I canvassed the area and found four 9mm shell casings near the body.
...d a phone call from Deputy Ross who was located at Covenant Emergency Room with Deputy Lawless. Deputy Ross advised the two walk-in patients the emergency room received where involved with the incident that occurred at the Alamo Trailer Park. Deputy Ross advised both individuals sustained severe injuries. Deputy Ross advised one of the patients, later identified as Jaime Ornelas-Gonzales sustained a severe laceration on his right bicep, a possible stab wound to the base of his skull, and several other small cuts on his body. Deputy Ross advised the second patient, later identified I told Deputy Ross to get the information from the patients and begin photographing the injuries, he agreed (photos attached to the report). I also asked Deputy Ross to stay at the emergency room with the patients until officers from this department could speak to them, he agreed.
Domestic Violence cases are very hard to handle. Whether you are a police officer,EMT, or first responders, lawyers, judges, and etc. These types of situations can be dangerous for the victim and the law enforcement agent working the case. With the long hours, and endless pain and stress that goes into working these cases, the dedicated officials carry the weight with them daily. As a law enforcement agent, their job is to protect and serve. Through research and interviews, with professionals in this field. How comfortable would you be coming into a home where someone’s life is being threatened, and you have no idea what the abuser has in the home? Are you willing to risk your life or family’s life to defend the a stranger’s life?
Buzawa, Carl G. and Buzawa, Eve S. Second Edition: Domestic Violence. Sage Publications, Inc.; Thousand Oaks, California. 1996
Until recently, officers suspecting domestic violence had to have concrete proof and probable cause. Now, officers can arrest anyone they suspect of domestic violence, with or without the victim’s consent. This is called a preferred arrest policy. In 2003, 25, 926 arrests for domestic violence were made. (ODVN 1). “Intimate partner violence made up 20% of all nonfatal violent crime experienced by women in 2001.” (DOJ 1). The increased incidences of domestic violence can be curtailed through three changes: harsher laws, reduced societal acceptance and more advocacy and awareness.
The Boston Police Department has started enforcing new laws that require an officer to make an arrest when responding to cases of domestic violence. This is a strict new law that is being enforced. Previously, it was not necessary to make an arrest for such an incident. The officer had to make sure that the parties were safe and could judge on what action to carry out next. Now, it is a requirement by law to make an arrest if they respond to any case of domestic violence. It is important to study whether enactment of this new law has led to a change in behavior of people in intimate relationships regarding domestic violence.
It wasn’t until recently that attitudes regarding domestic violence have been taken seriously. Historically, the predominant thought was to blame the victim and give into myths and stereotypes. However, there has been a push to reevaluate these attitudes and begin to retrain law enforcement to understand domestic violence (Grover, Paul, and Dodge 626). In a study regarding attitudes of police officers towards domestic violence, it was found that “most of the officers (84%) felt that domestic violence calls take too much of their time and effort” (Grover et al 626). Officers “showed a high level of frustration with repeat calls to the same address (93%), and believed that too many domestic violence calls are for verbal arguments (93%)” (Grover et al 626). However, the same study also found that 87% of officers disagreed with the statement that domestic violence cases should be handled as private matters and 64% agreed with the statement, “Domestic violence offenders must be arrested even when the victims don’t feel it is necessary” (Grover et al 626). Evidence suggests that officer respect policies and procedures that have been created to assist the victim as well as protect the community.
Sengstock, M. C., & Hwalek, M. (1986). Domestic abuse of the elderly: Which cases involve the police? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1(3), 335-349. doi:10.1177/088626086001003006
The stressors I had during the initial stages of the call was determining how to respond and making contact with the suspect that is known to be dangerous to law enforcement. The emotions I was feeling were all over the board as I was extremely nervous at what I was going to discover. “At any time during the police officers’ shifts, they may be called upon to respond to situations in which there is a threat to their physical well-being, or physical well-bing of a fellow police officer, or the general public”(Pg, 400). As I arrive all I could think about is where is the suspects were. The suspect is known violent offender and is in a gang. My heart was already pounding because I was responding with lights and sirens to the call. My anxiety was set in full speed trying to figure out how things were going to play out once I arrived. “ These critical incidents are sudden and are perceived in a way that the officer’s coping mechanisms are overwhelmed and the officer is in distress” (Pg, 400). With these types of calls nothing is routine as each call has many factors involved that are not like other domestic violence
This crime took place at different time era, where domestic violence, wasn’t brought to the attention of the courts and the public. In article written by Find law, “Domestic violence became an increasingly popular issue in the 1970s and 1980s. As awareness for violence between intimate partners grew, so did criticism on the manner in which police were responding to the issue. Many believe that police don 't take domestic violence calls seriously because police intervention would be inappropriate in what some may deem a family matter
Weires, M. K. (2012, January). Retrieved December 4, 2013, from Law Enforcement Response to Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault: http://dss.sd.gov/victimservices/cvc/2012CVCHandbook.pdf
With the current economic status of the American nation, paying jobs are getting harder to find and keep, housing prices are skyrocketing, and many Americans are miserable, finding their lives in a rut. There’s little to no time to do what one loves or spend with one’s family, and the free chances one does get usually gets gobbled up by household work or maintenance. What if all that just went away? No more worry about filling up leftover space, more time to do what one wants to do, and more money to put towards something other than bills and debt? Tiny houses provide an alternative life-style that allows more funds, freedom, and is more eco-friendly than the average home.
O'Dell, A. (2007). Why do police arrest victims of domestic violence? The Need for Comprehensive Training and Investigative Protocols. Journal Of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 15(3/4), 53-73.
Domestic violence is skyrocketing in our society. In the U.S., as many as 1.5 million women and 850,000 men were physically assaulted by their intimate partner last year, and numerous children abused by their parents. These sad criminal acts will continue to grow in our society, unless our community takes action to stop these crimes. First of all, the most important tool we have available against this type of crime are the authorities, which include the police department, hospital, and social workers. If they manage to work together as a team to make the whole process of protecting a victim more efficient, it will encourage victims to actually phone for help.