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Role of Police in Combating Domestic Violence in the United States: A Case Study of the Domestic Violence Reduction Unit, Portland Police Bureau (From Policing in Central and Eastern Europe: Comparing Firsthand Knowledge With Experience From the West, P 161-172, 1996, Milan Pagon, ed. -- See NCJ-170

NCJ Number
170308
Author(s)
D Butzer; L M Bronfman; B Stipak
Date Published
1996
Length
12 pages
Annotation
In 1993 the Portland Police Bureau created a special unit, the Domestic Violence Reduction Unit (DVRU), which is designed to reduce the level of domestic violence.
Abstract
In operation for over 3 years, the mission of the unit is to investigate selected domestic violence cases, promote deterrence, assist victims, interrupt the continuation of violence from one generation to the next, and assist in local and regional efforts to respond to domestic violence. From its inception, the DVRU has been the embodiment of the philosophy of community policing. In describing the evolution and operation of the DVRU, this paper focuses on the changing role of police in combating domestic violence; it documents the policies and procedures of community policing that have facilitated this change, and it assesses the role of these changes in redefining policy and in reducing the level of domestic violence. The DVRU demonstrates how acting on the values of community policing can result in the integration of fresh perspectives and new approaches into police work. Further, it illustrates how the implementation of community policing strategies can result in a closer alignment between the police agency and the community. The community policing perspective required a conscious effort to consult with various groups within the community and to incorporate these groups into the process of creating the DVRU unit, its priorities, and strategies. Although there is not yet sufficient data to evaluate DVRU's effectiveness, a preliminary program evaluation shows an increase in domestic violence restraining orders and prosecution rates, and the program may have an effect in lowering recidivism rates; victims reported being satisfied with police services and were not only more likely to get restraining orders, but to help themselves in other ways. 1 figure and 13 notes