U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Arrest Policies and Spouse Abuse: Putting a New Policy Direction in Perspective

NCJ Number
110205
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (Fall 1987) Pages: 11-25
Author(s)
M Steinman
Date Published
1987
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Americans expect police to be responsive, effective, and efficient.
Abstract
A salient example of the effects of these expectations today concerns spouse abuse. While officers have historically considered it a private matter, recent developments have put pressure on them to treat it as a crime. As a result, many departments are considering or have adopted policies which make arrest their preferred response. These policies are part of a 20th century trend toward more centralized policing. Many officers view this trend as a threat to their discretion and to good police work. Thus, chiefs and communities cannot take officer compliance with arrest policies for granted. (Author abstract)