Evaluating a Multi-Disciplinary Response to Domestic Violence in Colorado Springs, 1996-1999

The Colorado Springs Police Department formed a
 nontraditional domestic violence unit in 1996 called the Domestic
 Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT). This unit involved a
 partnership and collaboration with the Center for the Prevention of
 Domestic Violence, a private, nonprofit victim advocacy organization,
 and 25 other city and county agencies. DVERT was unique in its focus
 on the safety of the victim over the arrest and prosecution of the
 batterer. It was also different from the traditional police model for
 a special unit because it was a systemic response to domestic violence
 situations that involved the coordination of criminal justice, social
 service, and community-based agencies. This study is an 18-month
 evaluation of the DVERT unit. It was designed to answer the following
 research and evaluation questions: (1) What were the activities of
 DVERT staff? (2) Who were the victims and perpetrators of domestic
 violence? (3) What were the characteristics of domestic
 violence-related incidents in Colorado Springs and surrounding
 jurisdictions? (4) What was the nature of the intervention and
 prevention activities of DVERT? (5) What were the effects of the
 intervention? (6) What was the nature and extent of the collaboration
 among criminal justice agencies, victim advocates, and city and county
 human services agencies? (7) What were the dynamics of the
 collaboration? and (8) How successful was the collaboration? At the
 time of this evaluation, the DVERT program focused on three levels of
 domestic violence situations: Level I included the most lethal
 situations in which a victim might be in serious danger, Level II
 included moderately lethal situations in which the victim was not in
 immediate danger, and Level III included lower lethality situations in
 which patrol officers engaged in problem-solving. Domestic violence
 situations came to the attention of DVERT through a variety of
 mechanisms. Most of the referrals came from the Center for the
 Prevention of Domestic Violence. Other referrals came from the
 Department of Human Services, the Humane Society, other law
 enforcement agencies, or city service agencies. Once a case was
 referred to DVERT, all relevant information concerning criminal and
 prosecution histories, advocacy, restraining orders, and human
 services documentation was researched by appropriate DVERT member
 agencies. Referral decisions were made on a weekly basis by a group
 of six to eight representatives from the partner agencies. From its
 inception in May 1996 to December 31, 1999, DVERT accepted 421 Level I
 cases and 541 Level II cases. Cases were closed or deactivated when
 DVERT staff believed that the client was safe from harm. Parts 1-4
 contain data from 285 Level I DVERT cases that were closed between
 July 1, 1996, and December 31, 1999. Parts 5-8 contain data from 515
 Level II cases from 1998 and 1999 only, because data were more
 complete in those two years. Data were collected from (1) police
 records of the perpetrator and victim, including calls for service,
 arrest reports, and criminal histories, (2) DVERT case files,
 and (3) Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence files on
 victims. Coding sheets were developed to capture the information
 within these administrative documents. Part 1 includes data on whether
 the incident produced injuries or a risk to children, whether the
 victim, children, or animals were threatened, whether weapons were
 used, if there was stalking or sexual abuse, prior criminal history,
 and whether there was a violation of a restraining order. For Part 2
 data were gathered on the date of case acceptance to the DVERT program
 and deactivation, if the offender was incarcerated, if the victim was
 in a new relationship or had moved out of the area, if the offender
 had moved or was in treatment, if the offender had completed a
 domestic violence class, and if the offender had served a
 sentence. Parts 3 and 4 contain information on the race, date of
 birth, gender, employment, and relationship to the victim or offender
 for the offenders and victims, respectively. Part 5 includes data on
 the history of emotional, physical, sexual, and child abuse, prior
 arrests, whether the victim took some type of action against the
 offender, whether substance abuse was involved, types of injuries that
 the victim sustained, whether medical care was necessary, whether a
 weapon was used, restraining order violations, and incidents of
 harassment, criminal trespassing, telephone threats, or
 kidnapping. Part 6 variables include whether the case was referred to
 and accepted in Level I and whether a DVERT advocate made contact on
 the case. Part 7 contains information on the offenders' race and
 gender. Part 8 includes data on the victims' date of birth, race, and
gender.