Calls for Service: What an Officer Encounters on a Domestic Dispute Call

As previously mentioned in earlier posts, Dalton Police Officers responded to over 50,000 calls for service in 2006.  While some of these calls involve traffic stops for moving violations and routine report calls, many of the officer's calls require much more time to complete.  Let's take a look at the time frame for a domestic dispute call, a commonly encountered incident for our officers.

Once the officer gets the call from the 911 center they must assess the information received and determine the best route, and what "code" to respond.  Generally the officer will respond with both lights and siren activated for the safety of others but must deactivate it prior to the arrival to the scene.  In route to the scene, the officers have many things running through their mind.  Maybe it is that of the 146 officers killed in the line of duty for 2006, 38 died as a result of a motor vehicle crash.  Or, the officer may be reminded that domestic disputes are one of the most dangerous types of calls he or she can respond to and that many officers are killed by the offender of these types of crimes.  In addition, the officer must monitor and operate the police radio, negotiate traffic conditions, and determine the fastest route to the incident location.

Once on the scene, the officer will make contact with the persons involved and begin the investigation.  Emotions are generally high among all parties involved and so is the danger.  During the investigation, if it is determined that a crime of domestic violence has occurred,  an arrest is generally made.  The officer must constantly be mindful of department policy, State law, and criminal procedures at all levels of the call.  It is at this level of the encounter that the officer is most at risk since the "arrest phase" is the most dangerous for the officer.  If the offender has fled the scene prior to the officer's arrival, they may be required to locate and/or obtain an arrest warrant from the magistrate court after all the proper paperwork is completed.

Once the person is arrested and in custody.  Many more steps are needed to aid in a successful prosecution of the violator.  These steps include getting statements from the victim and any witnesses to the incident, and taking pictures of the victim's injuries and/or crime scene.

This does not complete the call.  The officer will now access the situation and give guidance and counseling to the victim.  This may include information about spousal abuse, how to obtain a restraining order or Temporary Protective Order, Battered Women's Shelters in the area, and providing literature for the victim concerning many of the above issues.

The officer will then complete a comprehensive report using their on-board computer with details of the incident and the actions taken by the officer(s) at the scene.

In some of these cases, the offender will choose a jury trial in Superior Court.  In these instances, the officer will receive a subpoena and be required to attend the trial and testify on behalf of the prosecution.

This is one example of the many crimes that officers respond to that that requires time and expertise to complete.  Others include, but not limited to, DUI stops, cases involving assault, and burglaries where officers are required to search the building or structure for the offenders.