The results of the 1984 Minneapolis experiment that concluded that arrests were more effective than mediation or separation of disputants received extensive publicity and supported policy and legal changes. However, traditional police discretion determines the response to a particular situation involving domestic violence. Police attitudes toward their roles and domestic violence pose major obstacles to reform, but laws mandating arrest mean that they risk being labeled negligent or incompetent if they fail to act. They should also recognize the victim's need for autonomy and choice regarding pressing criminal charges against their assailants. Police intervention will not alone deter domestic violence; what is also needed is a rethinking of the damage that results from maintaining a society based on women's unequal status. Notes and 37 references