Historically, the police response to wife assault was shaped by popular doctrine, sexist attitudes, and a patriarchal system that discouraged criminal justice system involvement in "family matters." Feminist groups, research, community pressure, and legislative changes have substantially affected police policies and practices in responding to wife assault. The London Police policy is to make an arrest and file charges when the police have reasonable and probable cause to believe an assault has occurred. A study of the effectiveness of this policy involved 90 women who were victims of wife assault in 1988 or 1989. Of the 90 participants, 52 experienced police intervention and the bringing of charges against the abuser; 14 had police intervention but no filing of charges; and 24 had neither police intervention nor charges filed. The findings show that although arrest alone does not necessarily decrease violence, the filing of charges is apparently a significant deterrent. Interviews with the victims suggest that family and friends are their greatest avenue of support. Police officers and the public need greater awareness and sensitivity to the issues that confront battered women. Statistics show that the enforcement of charging policies varies widely across areas and even within detachments. Community pressure must be maintained to ensure consistent, effective police responses across the board. Continuing research by police forces is required to monitor and evaluate the consistency and effectiveness of arrest and charging policies in wife- assault cases. 34 references