U.S. Department of Justice 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

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Community Oriented Policing Services logo
The National Center for Victims of Crime logo
Police Foundation logo

Bringing Victims into 
Community Policing 


A Police Guide to First Response: 
Domestic Violence, Residential Burglary, and 
Automobile Theft 

by The National Center for Victims of Crime and 
The Police Foundation 

This document was prepared by the National Center for Victims of 
Crime and the Police Foundation, supported by 
98-CK-WX-0074, awarded by the US. Department of Justice. The 
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed 
in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily 
represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of 
Justice. 

National Center for Victims of Crime 

Susan Herman, Principal Investigator 
David R. Anderson 
Diane Johnson 
Karen Dempsey 

Police Foundation 

David Weisburd, Principal Investigator 
Rosann Greenspan 
Graham Farrell 
Justin Ready 


Acknowledgments 

"Bringing Victims into Community Policing" is the result of 
hard work on the part of many people at the National Center 
for Victims of Crime, the Police Foundation, and 
professionals from the fields of policing, victim services, 
criminology, and criminal justice. 

Susan Herman and David Weisburd led the project team as 
Co-principal Investigators. David Anderson managed the 
National Center's efforts, conducted most of the site visits, 
and developed the first response guides and the model policy 
on repeat victimization. Rosann Greenspan and Graham 
Farrell managed the Police Foundation efforts, conducted the 
literature review, and analyzed the survey results. 

Karen Dempsey coordinated the focus groups and the forum, 
developed the case examples for the first response guides, and 
assisted with the development of the model policy on repeat 
victimization. Insightful editorial assistance was provided by 
Diane Alexander, Trudy Gregorie, Barry Meiners, Lara 
Murray, and Cressida Wasserman. 

Justin Ready, of the Police Foundation, conducted the surveys 
of police and victim service organizations. At the Police 
Foundation, the following people were involved in the early 
stages of the development of the survey and the review: 
Brooke Bedrick, Annette Gartin, Erin Lane, Ann Marie 
McNally, and Michael Prachar. Diane Johnson, of the 
National Center, developed the victims service organization 
survey. In addition, the following team worked on different 
aspects of the survey interviews, data coding, data entry and 
data cleaning: Carsten Andresen, Liz Ashmine, Yesenia 
Fermin, Sam Hakim, Vilma Hernandez, James Perlez, Marissa 
Porchak, Jesy Pizzarro, Tawandra Rowell, Tom Sharpe, 
Aislynn Stearn, Vanja Stenius, Ernesto Urbina, Erika Vergara, 
Laura Wycoff, and Kristen Zgoba. 


Perri Gottlieb assisted in the collation of the literature, 
various aspects of the data analysis and the preparation of 
many tables for this report. Heather Sparks transcribed many 
interviews and assisted in the preparation of the data tables. 
Kelli Edwards assisted in data entry and transcription of the 
National Center. Diane Johnson helped develop and manage 
the national survey. 

Three consultants worked on the survey in different 
capacities: Steven Mastrofski, Edward Maguire, and Rhoda 
Cohen. 

For their continued support, we thank Karin Schmerler, 
Stacey Bushe, and Nancy Leach of the Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). For their 
time and valuable input, special thanks go to Mary Blake-
Holly, Victim Services (Jacksonville, Florida); James 
Bueermann, Redlands (CA) Police Department; Cressida 
Bridgeman, British Home Office; Pam Chapman, National 
Organization for Black Law Enforcement Executives, Sylvia 
Chenery, University of Huddersfield (England); Ed Davis, 
Lowell (MA) Police Department; Rob Davis,Vera Institute of 
Justice; Lisbeth Eddy, Seattle (WA) Police Department; Steve 
Eckstrom, Washington State Office of Crime Victims 
Advocacy; Carroll Ellis, Fairfax County (VA) Police 
Department; Ron Fernstedt, Utah County Sheriff; Ed Flynn, 
Arlington County (VA) Police Department; Don Georgens, 
Office of the Attorney General (TX); Ellen Halbert, Travis 
County (TX) District Attorney's Office; Earl Mathis, 
Charlotte - Mecklenburg (NC) Police Department; Rodney 
Monroe, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department; 
Silverio Ontiveros, Phoenix (AZ) Police Department; Jane 
Sadusky, Battered Women's Justice Project; Rana 
Sampson,Community Policing Associates; and Joan Scanlan. 


Contents 

Letter from the Director of COPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction and Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
A 
Description of Repeat Victimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Model Policy: Preventing Repeat Victimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
A 
Guide to First Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
First Response to Domestic Violence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
First Response to Residential Burglary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
First Response to Automobile Theft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Additional Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Letter From the Director 

Dear Colleague: 
The community policing philosophy emphasizes the 
importance of problem-solving partnerships. Law 
enforcement professionals have shown over and over again 
that crime and disorder problems are most efficiently and 
effectively solved when all the stakeholders are represented in 
the solution. The victim of a crime is arguably the most 
important stakeholder in the criminal justice system, and often 
underserved. Such victims represent a significant resource 
available to law enforcement to help address crime and the 
fear of crime in communities across the country. 

Our partners in advancing community policing, the National 
Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) and the Police 
Foundation, felt that an untapped opportunity existed for law 
enforcement to bring victims of crime into community 
policing. Law enforcement professionals could not only better 
serve members of their communities, they could also involve 
more stakeholders in solving community problems. Together, 
NCVC and the Police Foundation used COPS grants to 
produce this toolkit, Bringing Victims into Community 
Policing. This toolkit includes three First Response Guides 
that address bringing victims into community policing in the 
following areas: Domestic Violence, Residential Burglary, and 
Automobile Theft. 

Local law enforcement professionals are often the first to 
come into contact with victims of crime. This toolkit provides 
guidance to community policing professionals who interact 
with victims and victim service organizations at every step of 
the process. It addresses repeat victimization and how to 


break that cycle. It provides helpful information about 
building successful partnerships between law enforcement and 
victim service organizations. This toolkit offers insights into 
resources that many law enforcement organizations currently 
overlook. 

This toolkit reinforces one of the cornerstones of community 
policing: that collaborative partnerships are an effective way to 
solve and prevent crime. The research performed by NCVC 
and the Police Foundation show that closer collaboration 
between crime victims, victim service organizations, and law 
enforcement can significantly benefit each party, and this 
toolkit explains how that can benefit your agency. COPS is 
proud to help fund this and other valuable research available 
to law enforcement agencies to advance community policing. 
Bringing victims into community policing is one more way 
community policing keeps America safe. 

Image of signature of COPS Director Carl R. Peed

Director 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 


Introduction 

by 

Susan Herman, National Center for Victims of Crime 
David Weisburd, Police Foundation 
Co-principal Investigators 

Our project, "Bringing Victims into Community Policing," 
started with the premise that community policing would be 
significantly enhanced by the development of a stronger 
relationship between crime victims and police. We theorized 
that a collaborative problem-solving relationship between 
police and crime victims (and crime victims' organizations) 
could strengthen crime control and order maintenance, and 
contribute to reducing the fear of crime in communities. 

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services agreed 
to help us explore this idea by providing a generous grant. 
Our project emphasizes collaboration as a central component 
in building effective crime prevention approaches. 
Accordingly, we also sought to develop a fully collaborative 
approach to the research itself. Staff at the National Center 
for Victims of Crime and at the Police Foundation worked 
together on each aspect of the project and on the products 
that were developed. 

Over the past 18 months, our project team has surveyed 
hundreds of police and victim organizations, visited 
promising programs throughout the United States and the 
United Kingdom, and conducted a comprehensive literature 
review to understand the current state of relationships 
between police and victims of crime. In addition, we have 
conducted focus groups with representatives from victim 
service and police organizations, and we held a day-long 
forum with more than 20 representatives from victim 
services, policing, and academia. This work has convinced us 


that crime victims can indeed play a significant role in the 
response to their own victimization and the effort to solve 
community crime problems. 

To illustrate the role that victims and victim organizations can 
play, we have developed a set of tools designed to help police 
organizations prevent repeat victimization and respond 
effectively to victims of crime. Our model policy on 
preventing repeat victimization provides a blueprint for how 
police organizations could begin to integrate the prevention 
of repeat victimization into general operations. Our guide to 
first response recommends a collaborative problem-solving 
approach between police and victims, and then illustrates how 
that approach can be used in response to domestic violence, 
residential burglary and automobile theft. 

Several themes emerged from our work. 

Victims are stakeholders. Police usually treat victims as 
clients, with services being delivered to them. While 
victims of crime do need help, they are also key 
participants in the immediate response to the crime, the 
ongoing investigation of the incident, and efforts to 
prevent a recurrence. By approaching victims as powerful 
and resourceful stakeholders, police can have a greater 
impact on crime and perceptions of community safety. 

Victim service organizations offer unique 
opportunities for partnership. Victim service 
organizations (VSO) have unique knowledge and 
capabilities that could enhance efforts to investigate and 
prevent crime. Victims often give different kinds of crime-
related information to counselors at VSOs than they 
would to police officers. Still respecting the confidentiality 
of their clients, VSOs can identify patterns of crime as 
well as gaps and deficiencies in police services that police 


may not know of otherwise, participate in problem solving 
activities, and help to prevent repeat victimization. 
Through their work with victims, VSOs can play an 
important part in community policing. 

Productive relationships between police and victims 
require better communication. Victims often have too 
little information about police procedure and what 
happens during the initial response to and subsequent 
investigation of a crime. Interaction with a victim should 
include an educational component designed to increase 
understanding and facilitate a victim's active participation 
in problem-solving. 

Reducing the risk of repeat victimization is an 
important component of effective response to crime. 
The risk of revictimization increases with each 
victimization. By working to prevent repeat victimization, 
police can reduce the occurrence of crime and enhance 
individual and community safety. 

Partnership is key to preventing repeat victimization. 
There is an opportunity to transform society's response to 
crime by building collaborative relationships between 
victims of crime, the organizations that serve them, and 
police. Because the time that officers can spend with 
victims is limited, police organizations should develop 
responses that include civilian employees and other non-
police agencies and organizations. By breaking down 
organizational barriers and building strategic alliances, 
police can improve the response to victims without 
necessarily increasing their workload. 

Police and victim service organizations can find 
common ground in preventing crime. Sometimes 
language gets in the way of collaboration. "Crime 


6 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 

prevention" is something that police organizations tend to 
do at a community or group level. Victim service 
organizations are often hesitant to focus on crime 
prevention because they are usually focused exclusively on 
the aftermath of crime. However, victim service 
organizations, especially those working on domestic 
violence and stalking, often assist individual victims with 
"safety planning" to develop strategies to maximize the 
victim's safety. Collaborative efforts using both these 
approaches could prove to be very effective. 

In summary, our overall project has reinforced for us the 
importance of closer collaboration between crime victims, 
crime victim organizations, and the police. It is time to bring 
the victim into community policing. 

Our work shows that community policing can be greatly 
enhanced by working to prevent repeat victimization and 
building collaborative problem solving relationships with 
victims and victim organizations. The information and tools 
included in this package are a distillation of all that we have 
learned over the last 18 months about the relationship 
between police and crime victims. We hope that these 
materials will help police organizations enhance the practice 
of community policing by building stronger problem solving 
relationships with crime victims and the organizations that 
serve them. 


7Introduction and Overview 

Overview of Publication 

The publication is divided into four main sections: 

1. 
Description of Repeat Victimization 
This section defines repeat victimization and points to its 
significance within overall crime totals. It describes how 
analysis of data collected from non-traditional as well as 
traditional sources can lead to a better understanding of 
the challenges of repeat victimization. It illustrates how 
the effectiveness of the first response by police can be 
enhanced through the adoption of an analytic, problem-
solving approach that includes victims. It explains how the 
use of a graduated response, geared to the victim's level of 
risk, can prevent repeat victimization. 
2. 
Model Policy 
This section provides a blueprint for a department-wide 
policy for the prevention of repeat victimization. The 
Model Policy describes the steps required in order to 
create a more effective system for combating repeat 
victimization. It delineates the roles of first response, 
graduated response, victim assistance, data recording and 
analysis, dispatching and reporting systems, training, and 
performance evaluation in preventing repeat victimization. 
3. 
Guide to First Response 
This section provides an overview of the significance of 
the first response to crime in the prevention of 
revictimization. It highlights the opportunity that first 
response provides for building collaborative, problem-
solving relationships with victims. It explains why first 
response is so critical. It illustrates how initial police 
interaction with victims can enhance or inhibit their 



involvement in helping to solve crimes and prevent 
revictimization. It shows how police officers can help set 
realistic victim expectations and educate victims to be full 
partners in the response to a crime incident. 

4. Three Specific Guides 
This section contains three "first response" guides for 
three different crime categories. These guides are designed 
to complement local protocols and policies governing 
police responses to the victims of these types of crime. 
All highlight the importance of setting realistic 
expectations and gaining a sound understanding of the 
context and/or history of the crime. All stress the role of 
recording and reviewing information, safety planning, and 
problem-solving. All include first response checklists, case 
examples, and sample "Crime Incident Actions Forms." 

(a) First Response to Domestic Violence 

The First Response Guide to Domestic Violence 
highlights the need for police officers to understand 
the nature of domestic violence and the prior 
history the background to the incident under 
investigation. It sets out questions that the officer 
must ask in order to gain critical information. It 
shows the importance of discovering whether the 
offender has a criminal record, a history of substance 
abuse, a history of violent behavior towards other 
people or animals, access to firearms, details of 
probation or parole officers who are involved, 
whether there were witnesses to the current incident. 


It illustrates the kind of details that the officer must 
seek from the victim to help ensure safety and 
prevent re-victimization. 

(b) First Response to Residential Burglary 

The First Response Guide to Residential Burglary 
explains how to work in cooperation with victims and 
gain an understanding of the context in which the 
crime occurred. It lays out key questions officers 
should ask victims in order to discover the facts and 
reduce the risk of repeat victimization through 
appropriate safety planning. It stresses the need to 
learn and understand neighborhood factors (such as 
tensions between families or groups) and get a clear 
picture of recent criminal activity in the area (e.g., 
drug dealing, street crimes, as well as burglaries). 

(c) First Response to Automobile Theft 

This guide illustrates the kinds of questions police 
officers need to ask victims in order to discover the 
nature of the incident and reduce the risk of repeat 
victimization. It focuses on the special problems that 
arise when people lose their normal means of 
transportation. It suggests ways in which victims may 
be able to reduce their risk for future automobile 
theft. 


A Description of Repeat Victimization 

Repeat victimization occurs when the same person or target 
suffers more than one crime incident over a specified period 
of time. Patterns of repeat victimization can occur in a wide 
range of crime types including burglary, automobile theft, 
assault, robbery, witness intimidation, domestic violence, 
stalking, sexual assault, hate crimes, and vandalism. A person 
or target may suffer the same type of crime repeatedly (for 
example, repeated burglaries) or different types of crime. 

In some jurisdictions, repeat victimization can account for 
more than 50 percent of certain crimes.1 Moreover, analysis of 
criminal history data and victimization surveys demonstrates 
that a small percentage of people and targets suffer a large 
percentage of all crimes. One crime survey showed that 2 
percent of respondents reported 41 percent of all property 
crime and 1 percent of respondents experienced 59 percent 
of all personal crime.2 

The International Crime Victims Survey provides data on the 
portion of particular crimes in the United States attributable 
to repeat victimization:3 

Burglary 33% of all burglaries 
Automobile Theft 32% of all auto thefts 
Assault and Threats 43% of all assaults and threats 
Thefts from Persons 15% of all thefts from persons 
Sexual Assault 49% of all sexual assaults 

The survey's findings are only estimates. Some researchers 
believe that actual rates of repeat victimization are greater, 
especially in high crime areas (Pease, 1998). 
An individual's risk of repeat victimization depends on a 
number of variables, including personal characteristics, 
perpetrator characteristics, and crime type. Police personnel 
should never use general repeat victimization rates to establish 
the risk faced by an individual victim. Victims should simply 
be informed that the risk of revictimization exists, that the 
risk is highest during the first few months after an incident, 
and that the overall risk increases as the number of 
victimizations increases. 

The Promise of Preventing Repeat Victimization 

A fundamental tenet of community policing holds that police 
should work with community-based partners to solve 
problems. The most difficult aspect of problem solving is the 
identification and effective analysis of problems. Police 
organizations use an array of macro-level tactics to identify 
and analyze crime problems. Data are collected, crime maps 
are analyzed, patrol officers are surveyed, and community 
organizations are consulted. This approach depends on a high 
level of resources and tends to only identify problems once 
they have become big enough to draw police attention. 

In contrast, identifying and preventing repeat victimization is 
problem solving that starts at the micro level. Because repeat 
victimization affects individual people and targets, effective 
problem solving begins at an individual level and moves to 
larger groups when appropriate. 

To fully understand the nature of repeat victimization and 
develop effective responses, law enforcement agencies must 


capitalize on non-traditional as well as traditional sources of 
information. It's essential, for example, to look beyond arrest 
data and calls for service and consider residential, business 
and environmental surveys, victim and offender interviews, 
mapping/GIS data, and social services data. The next task is 
to analyze this data. 

Thorough data analysis can yield surprising information about 
underlying causes, illuminating problems and pointing the way 
to solutions. Only through sound analysis can the detailed 
picture needed to fashion effective responses emerge. Without 
it, opportunities to develop alternative, non-traditional 
responses are likely to be missed and strategies to prevent 
repeat victimization are likely to fail. 

One final point. Effective first response is vital to address the 
problem of repeat victimization. But, it can also reduce 
reliance on resource-intensive problem identification methods, 
enabling the early resolution of crime problems. 

Implications of a Policy to Prevent Repeat 
Victimization 

This policy creates an approach to preventing repeat 
victimization that focuses on victim safety and strengthens the 
foundation of community policing: partnering and problem 
solving. Creating an organizational focus on preventing repeat 
victimization of individuals will affect many principles 
governing police operations. 

The Primacy of Prevention  Crime prevention should 
be a primary police activity beginning during the first 
response to a crime incident and reinforced by secondary 
responders. 


The Importance of First Response  The nature and 
quality of the first response to an incident greatly 
influences the safety of the victim. A police organization 
committed to preventing repeat victimization must 
emphasize the importance of first response through 
training and management of patrol officers (performance 
evaluations and promotions). 

A Continuum of Response  The first response to a 
crime should be the beginning of a longer period of 
interventions involving other units of the police 
organization and partner organizations (such as victim 
service providers). 

Collapsing Boundaries  Preventing repeat victimization 
is a natural way for police organizations to collaborate with 
other governmental and community organizations. The 
measurable outcomes of preventing repeat victimization 
will help to clarify shared goals. 

The Opportunity for Victims to be Partners  
Community policing to prevent repeat victimization can 
enable victims to play an important role in problem 
solving and prevention efforts. Victims can partner with 
police in response to their own victimization and join with 
police and other community stakeholders to work on 
community problem solving efforts. 

Problem-Oriented Record Keeping  Police record 
keeping should allow for the identification and analysis of 
repeat victimization. In addition to criminal history 
records, police organizations need to maintain 
victimization history records and keep track of responses 
and outcomes to provide performance measurement 
information. Information about a person's prior 
victimization can be just as important as information 


about the history of crime at a location. The success of 

prevention activities can then be measured by tracking the 

occurrence of repeat victimizations. 

A Graduated Response to Crime and Victimization 

Most police organizations have policies and procedures that 
create different responses to different types of crime and 
allocate resources based on organizational priorities. Dispatch 
policies prioritize incidents and assign police response based 
on the severity of the incident (a practice called differential 
response). Patrol officers and other personnel are allocated 
based on calls for service or another workload measurement. 
Crime prevention and victim services are provided depending 
on the type and severity of crime incidents. 

It is possible to use repeat victimization information to 
develop a system that allocates policing resources to the 
people and places most in need of assistance. Because the risk 
of another victimization increases with each repeated 
victimization, the number of repeats can give police a reliable 
measure of a victim's future risk. It is important that police 
interventions change in response to increasing risks. By using 
a graduated response to crime incidents, police can create a 
system of evolving interventions that match the level of 
response with the level of risk. 

A strategy of graduated response begins with the first 
victimization and then increases the level of intervention 
based primarily on the number of repeat victimizations. 

Components of graduated response: 

 Response is standardized and defined in policy and 
procedures. 


 
Additional prevention-oriented resources during the first 
response to the first incident to reduce the number of 
chronic and severe cases. 
 
Response levels determined largely by the number of 
repeat victimizations (because the number of repeats is a 
good predictor of risk). 
 
First responders are made aware of prior victimizations 
and play a significant role in the delivery of services and in 
determining the appropriate level of response. 


An Example of a Graduated Response to Residential 
Burglary 

A graduated response protocol for residential burglary could 
have three different levels of response to burglary incidents. 
In general, response levels will be determined by the number 
of incidents  Level 1 applying to the first incidence of 
burglary, Level 2 the second incidence, and Level 3 for three 
or more re-victimizations. However, police personnel would 
have the discretion to apply higher response levels (based on 
defined decision-making policies). Here are two examples of 
the way a graduated response would work: 

A Level 1 response to a burglary would include the police 
sending a letter to the victim explaining available resources 
and assistance options and provision of discount coupons for 
security equipment and a crime prevention pamphlet, but it 
might also involve a home security audit. 

A Level 2 response would require (in addition to the Level 1 
responses) a visit from the Crime Prevention Officer or other 
security professionals, installation of free temporary 
monitored alarm, interviews with neighbors, checking with 
informants, and checking stolen property outlets. It might also 
include increased police patrols. The different levels of 
response are summarized in the following chart. 


Chart: Graduated Response to Residential Burglary 

Level 1   
Required: 
 Letter to victim explaining 
the available resources and 
assistance options. 
 Discount coupons for 
security equipment. 
 Crime prevention advice 
pamphlet. 
Discretionary (Police decision 
or victim's informed choice): 
 Property engraving or 
marking. 
 Home security audit. 
 Security equipment loan. 
 Police target potential 
offenders. 

Level 2
Response includes all of 
Level 1 plus: 
Required: 
 Visit from Crime 
Prevention Officer or 
other security professional. 
 Installation of free 
temporary monitored 
alarm. 
 Interview neighbors. 
 Check informants. 
 Check outlets for stolen 
property. 
Discretionary: 
 Increased police patrol. 
 Forensic analysis 
(fingerprints and other 
physical evidence). 
 Cocoon Watch. 

Level 3
Response includes all of 
Levels 1 and 2 plus: 
Required: 
 Forensic analysis. 
 Installation of hidden 
cameras and alarms. 
Discretionary: 
 Marking dyes to identify 
offenders. 
 Tracking devices to 
monitor and identify the 
location of stolen 
property. 

A few of the interventions listed in this example require 
definitions: 

 
Cocoon Watch  similar to a neighborhood watch, but more 
focused. A cocoon watch concentrates on organizing the 
surrounding neighbors in an effort to increase surveillance 
and provide assistance to the victim. 
 
Marking dyes  exploding dye packets similar to those used 
to identify bank robbers. Packets are hidden in commonly 
stolen items in order to help identify the perpetrator. 
 
Tracking devices  signal devices attached to commonly 
stolen items so that police can find where the items are 
taken. 



A graduated response protocol need not require an increase in 
police resources. Instead, it should allow for the allocation of 
police resources to the locations and persons most affected by 
crime. Moreover, early intervention should reduce the number 
of severe and escalating problems, allowing resources to be 
allocated to proactive problem solving efforts. 

Successful Graduated Response Models 

Huddersfield 

In 1994, officials in Huddersfield, England created a 
graduated response for residential burglary that consisted of 
three levels depending on the number of victimizations. One 
incident merited a Bronze level response, two incidents a 
Silver level, and three incidents a Gold level. The three levels 
each provided a range of tactics that could be used to address 
residential burglary problems. If an officer felt it necessary, 
Silver or Gold level tactics could be used for a first response. 
At the end of the program, the graduated response was 
judged to have reduced the incidence of residential burglary 
by 30 percent, reduced the level of repeat burglaries, 
increased the number of offenders arrested, and improved the 
quality of service to victims (Bridgeman and Hobbes, 1997). 

Killingbeck 

Another example of graduated response is a 1997 domestic 
violence prevention project conducted in Killingbeck, 
England. Again, three levels of response were defined, both 
for victims and for offenders. Patrol officers played a key role 
in some interventions, but a commanding officer was 
responsible for evaluating each case to determine the 
appropriate level of response. The Killingbeck project 
resulted in an increase in the reporting of domestic violence 
incidents, a reduction in repeat victimization, and an increase 
in the time intervals between domestic violence incidents 
(Hanmer, et al, 1999). 


Implementing a Policy on Repeat Victimization 

Repeat victimization should also be addressed in police 
policies governing the following topics: 

 
Particular incident types  Policies governing the 
response to specific crimes, or types of crime, should 
address repeat victimization. Policies should include any 
knowledge about the nature of repeat victimization for a 
specific crime type and guidelines for how the organization 
and its partners can work to reduce the risk of repeat 
victimization. While most prevention efforts will focus on 
recurrence of the same crime type, special attention 
should be paid to situations involving domestic violence, 
stalking, hate crimes, and witness intimidation because 
repeat victimization can take a variety of forms. 
 
Victim confidentiality issues  Policies related to 
confidentiality and information management should 
specify how victimization history records are to be 
managed and protected to ensure that the privacy rights of 
victims are not compromised. 
 
Information management  All procedures for record 
keeping and analysis of information should support the 
goal of preventing repeat victimization. For example, 
crime reporting systems should track repeat incidents 
affecting a particular victim over a defined period of time. 
 
Communications  Policies covering the activities of 
emergency and non-emergency call takers, dispatchers and 
other communications personnel should specify how they 
can help to identify and prevent repeat victimization. 
 
Response procedures  The management of police 
response should support graduated response and, where 
applicable, participation by non-police partners. 



 Victim services  police-based victim services units 
should work in partnership with community-based victim 
services, crime prevention groups and community 
organizations to provide broad support for the prevention 
of repeat victimization. 

Ultimately, all procedures and policies should reflect a goal of 
preventing repeat victimization. Achieving this goal can be 
accomplished incrementally, rolling out different programs 
and procedures to support the policy. For example, an 
implementation process could begin by developing and 
implementing a graduated response to burglary accompanied 
by changes in record keeping to support the collection of 
repeat burglary incidents. Police organizations could then 
progress to crafting a response to domestic violence and so 
on, until all aspects of the organization have been adapted to 
the new focus on preventing repeat victimization. 


Model Policy: Preventing Repeat 
Victimization 

Problem Statement 

A. Repeat victimization is a substantial part of all crime in 
[name of police organization's jurisdiction]. A victim's 
risk of repeat victimization increases with each 
revictimization. Without effective intervention, repeat 
victimization endangers citizens and depletes the 
resources of this organization and the entire 
community. 

Purpose 

A. The purpose of this policy is to govern how members 
of [name of police organization] will work to prevent 
repeat victimization. 

Policy 

A. It is the policy of [name of police organization] to 
respond to victims of crime in a manner that will help 
to reduce the risk of repeat victimization. Members of 
this organization will seek to prevent repeat 
victimization. 

1. 
All personnel will understand how repeat 
victimization affects their work and what they can 
do to prevent it. 
2. 
The extent of repeat victimization will be measured 
and performance evaluations will include, whenever 
possible and appropriate, the assessment of how 
personnel contribute to the prevention of repeat 
victimization. 
3. 
The [name of police organization] will seek to 
collaborate with other government agencies and 
community organizations to reduce repeat 
victimization. 



4. The [name of police organization] will collect and 
analyze data from traditional and non-traditional 
sources to build the detailed picture of repeat 
victimization that will inform its prevention 
strategies. 

Definitions 

A. Repeat victimization occurs when the same person or 
target suffers from more than one crime incident over 
a specified period of time. 

1. 
A person who has been victimized has a greater risk 
of being victimized in the future than a person who 
has never been victimized. The risk of 
revictimization increases each time a person is 
victimized. This phenomenon of increasing risks 
also affects targets. 
2. 
Repeat victimizations occur soon after the first 
victimization, with the period of greatest risk lasting 
no more than six months. 
3. 
Most repeat victimizations involve the same type of 
crime. However, victims of domestic violence, 
stalking, hate crimes, and witness intimidation are 
more likely to experience a variety of offenses. 


B. Graduated response  a system of response that bases the 
type and degree of intervention on a victim's risk of 
revictimization. The most important measure of risk is 
the number of times a victim has been victimized in 
the past 12 months. Other factors (such as the severity 
of the most recent victimization, characteristics of the 
offender, level of violence, etc.) should also be taken 
into account when determining the appropriate 
response. 

1. 
Level 1  repeat victimization prevention strategies 
for first-time victims. 
2. 
Level 2  measures that are moderately resource-
intensive and targeted at victims with a moderate 
risk of revictimization. 



3. Level 3  highly intensive responses targeted at 
victims with a high risk of revictimization. 

C. First responder  any member of the organization (other 
than a 911 operator) who has initial contact with a 
victim of a crime and is gathering information for a 
complaint or incident report. Such contact can occur 
either in person or through telecommunications. 

1. For example, a 911 operator would not be a first 
responder, but a call-back operator who gathers 
information for an automobile theft report would 
be a first responder. 

D. Secondary contact  any member or partner of the [name 
of police organization] who contacts a victim following 
a first responder and after the occurrence of an 
incident. In general, a secondary contact is responsible 
for investigating an incident and/or providing 
assistance to a victim. 

1. Examples of secondary contacts include victim 
advocates, detectives, crime prevention experts, and 
administrative staff. 

E. Safety plan  a strategy to increase the safety of an 
individual victimized by criminal behavior. This plan 
can be developed with the assistance of a first 
responder or secondary contact, depending on the 
available resources. 

F. Crime prevention  activities intended to prevent the 
occurrence of crime. 

G. Victim  a person directly affected by a criminal act. 

H. Target  a place or object that is the focus of a criminal 
act. 


I. Victim assistance  any assistance provided to victims by 
[name of police organization] or partners of this 
organization. Such assistance could include service 
referral, giving "Last Step in First Response" cards to 
victims, safety planning, counseling, and support 
activities. 

Procedures 

A. Initial Response 

1. First responders will work with victims to: 

1. 
decrease the risk of immediate revictimization 
by helping victims identify risks and suggesting 
actions that could reduce identified risks. 
2. 
inform victims about available prevention and 
support services and ensure that the appropriate 
type of secondary contact [define] is provided 
by this organization or its partners. 
a. 
The [name of police organization] will create 
and maintain a process that enables the 
assignment of secondary contacts by first 
responders. 
b. 
The [name of police organization] will define 
a process by which information about the 
initial response is communicated to 
secondary contacts. 

B. Graduated Response 

1. The [name of police organization] will provide a 
graduated response based on the number of prior 
victimizations and the risk of revictimization as 
determined by the evaluation of associated risk 
factors. 

1. 
Level 1 responses will be provided to all crime 
victims. 
2. 
Level 2 and Level 3 responses will be provided 
based on the number of repeat victimizations 
and the assessed risk of revictimization. 



2. The [name of police organization] will develop and 
maintain a system that involves first responders, 
investigators, victim assistance providers and 
analysts in the definition of response levels for 
every type of crime and victimization. 

C. Victim Assistance and Investigations 

1. 
Victim assistance will be provided through the 
[name of police organization] victim assistance 
program and/or through partnerships with 
prosecutor or court-based victim services, and 
community-based victim services. 
2. 
The goals of victim assistance will be to help
victims:
1. 
develop and implement short and long term 
safety plans. 
2. 
understand and participate in the criminal justice 
process related to the particular crime. 
3. 
understand and access the resources available for 
counseling, compensation and other forms of 
practical assistance and information. 

a. These goals apply to any [name of police 
organization] victim assistance and will be 
incorporated into any partnerships with other 
organizations. 


3. 
Investigators will: 
1. interview victims and analyze incidents using 
methods intended to discover the context and 
history surrounding the crime incident. 

a. information should be gathered about 
previous incidents and other knowledge that 
could help in the identification and 
prevention of repeat victimization. 


2. explain what information is necessary for a 
successful investigation and collaborate with the 
victim in an effort to obtain the information. 

a. Investigators will provide victims with 
written information about the investigatory 
process and how victims can contact the 
investigators to provide additional 
information or to receive an update about 
the case. 

3. 
First responders, secondary contacts (and all 
other personnel who have contact with victims) 
will collaborate with crime victims to develop 
and implement problem solving strategies. 
4. 
The [name of police organization] will manage a 
process that informs victims about the status of 
a case. 


D. Records and Analysis 

1. Records of calls for service, dispatches, activities, 
and criminal cases will be created and maintained to 
allow measurement and analysis of repeat 
victimization. 

1. 
A rolling period of 12 months will be used to 
track repeat victimization. 
2. 
Systems will record information to allow review 
of the victimization history of any victim or 
target. 
3. 
Record systems will allow the comparison of 
incident information so that patterns of repeat 
victimization can be identified over a defined 
period of time. 
4. 
Historical information will be gathered and 
maintained for both targets and victims. 



2. Analysts will use records and reports to search for 
patterns of repeat victimization for victims and 
targets. 

1. The analysis of repeat victimization will be 
incorporated into other analyses of crime 
patterns, resource deployment and service 
demands. 

3. The [name of police organization] will develop and 
operate a system that regularly evaluates the 
effectiveness of efforts to prevent repeat 
victimization. 

E. Communications 

1. Dispatch and reporting systems will record and 
provide personal and location information about 
previous victimizations within the past twelve (12) 
months. 

F. Training 

1. All personnel will receive basic and continuing 
training in preventing repeat victimization. 

1. 
Existing training curricula will be revised to 
include information about repeat victimization, 
where appropriate. 
2. 
New curricula will be developed and maintained 
so that training in the prevention of repeat 
victimization can be delivered to both law 
enforcement and civilian personnel. 


G. Performance Evaluation 

1. The [name of police organization] will create and 
manage a process by which all personnel are 
evaluated based on their success in reducing repeat 
victimization. 


A Guide to First Response 

Introduction 

The first response to a crime incident requires decisive action. 
The crime scene must be secured, the safety of victims and 
witnesses must be assured, and information about the incident 
must be collected. The first responder has a great deal of 
responsibility and limited time to accomplish what needs to 
be done. To add to the pressure, how these initial tasks are 
accomplished has a tremendous impact on the investigation of 
the crime incident, the long-term safety of victims and, for 
that matter, the safety of the entire community. 

More than anything else, the first response is an opportunity 
for police to build a collaborative, problem solving 
relationship with victims. Done well, the first response can 
help to make a bad situation better. Done poorly, the first 
response can alienate victims and reduce the possibility of a 
successful investigation and/or decrease a victim's willingness 
to participate in the criminal justice process. 

An effective first response should meet the needs of the 
police and the needs of victims. Police should be sensitive to 
victims' emotional responses to crime. They should also 
respect the important role that victims can play in the 
investigation of the crime and the prevention of future 
incidents. Victims may have special knowledge about crime 
and disorder problems. Sometimes, they may not be aware of 
this knowledge. For this reason, it is important to discuss with 
the victim not only the circumstances of the particular crime, 
but also why this problem is occurring and ways it might be 
solved. Ultimately, first response is an opportunity to learn the 
facts of the present, understand the past, and develop 
strategies to prevent repeat victimization in the future. 


Background 

Police departments have become increasingly concerned with 
the needs of crime victims. Victims and victim service 
organizations have urged police to improve officer sensitivity, 
develop services to assist victims and to guide victims through 
the intricacies of the criminal justice system. Throughout the 
United States, police organizations have responded to the call 
for better victim services by developing a universe of 
programs intended to increase police sensitivity and provide 
support. 

Incorporating the philosophy of community policing into first 
response presents the opportunity to do more. The initial 
contact between police and victims can be much more than a 
chance for police to provide support and comfort. It can be 
the beginning of a problem solving partnership. Crime 
victims have a tremendous stake in the crime that has affected 
them and they can be powerful partners with police. 

As partners, victims can help 

Solve crime  Research shows that victims are vital to 
crime solving. If first responders are unable to obtain 
useful information from victims, it is very unlikely that the 
crime will be solved (Rand, 1975 and Eck, 1983). 

Reduce their own risk  Victims can reduce their risk of 
revictimization if they are educated about what they can 
do to prevent a repeat incident, and then receive help with 
safety planning and implementation. 

Prevent community crime  By working with police to 
solve and prevent crime, victims can enhance safety in 
their communities. Effective response to victims can help 
to strengthen the entire community by building 
relationships to prevent future victimization. 


31A Guide to First Response 
The Components of the Guides 

The following three guides to first response are intended to 
help police personnel respond to incidents of domestic 
violence, residential burglary, and automobile theft. They build 
on an existing foundation of basic training in victims' needs 
and concerns, interviewing techniques, and police operations. 
Based on the dual tenets of community policing, partnering 
and problem solving, these guides are designed to help create 
collaborative problem solving relationships between crime 
victims and police. 

The interview process begins by setting expectations and 
explaining the anticipated results of the interview. The next 
step seeks to create an understanding of what happened and 
explore the deeper context of the crime incident. Next, the 
process moves into a planning effort intended to reduce the 
risk of revictimization, prepare victims for the next steps in 
the criminal justice process, and to explain what the victim 
can do to help the investigation of the crime. The interview 
process ends with the completion of a Crime Incident Action 
Form, which summarizes the interview, provides contact 
information, and records the main points of the safety plan. 
Sample Crime Incident Action Forms and First Response 
Checklist Cards are included with this publication. 


First Response Checklist Card (General) 

Set Expectations 
Police should know: 
__ What happened. 
__ Victim information. 
__ Offender information. 
__ Victim's safety plan. 
   Victim should know: 
__ Role in investigation. 
__ Next steps. 
__ Who to contact for help and information. 
__ How to minimize risk. 
__ What to expect in the future. 

Understand the Incident
__ Who was involved. 
__ What happened. 
__ Has anything like it happened before. 

Safety Planning
__ Ways to help prevent another incident. 
__ How to aid the police investigation. 
__ Where to get help. 
__ Five Day Safety Plan. 

Review and Record 
Information
__ Complete Incident Action Form. 

The Importance of Expectations 

Helping a victim understand what to expect is essential to 
building an effective relationship between police and victims 
(Chandek, et al., 1998). Research into victim assessments of 
police response has found that "...greater attention should be 
paid to the manner in which police officers interact with 
crime victims and that the officers should provide victims 
with information and advice that is pertinent to their 
particular victimization (Hirschel, et al., 1998)." 


By creating realistic expectations, the interview process 
encourages the development of a collaborative relationship 
between victims and police. Too often, a police officer's 
uniform, weapons and authority create an imbalance of power 
in which victims merely follow the officer's direction. One of 
the primary goals of effective first response should be to 
educate victims so that they can be full partners in the 
response to a crime incident. 

First responders should also be prepared to find ways to work 
with victims who are not able to collaborate with police. 
Some victims may be so traumatized by an incident that they 
are unable to participate in the activities specified in the guide. 
Others may be incapacitated by drugs or alcohol. Some 
victims may have developmental disabilities. Victims may 
suffer from a physical or mental illness. There can be cultural 
or language barriers that make it difficult for victims and 
police to communicate. 

The first response should provide the opportunity for all victims 
to play a responsible role in the aftermath of crime. Police 
organizations should be prepared to dispatch special services 
such as translators or counselors when necessary. In addition, 
secondary responders (such as victim services personnel or 
investigators) play an even more important role in the 
response to victims with special needs. In many cases, the 
appropriate secondary response should be able to work 
through the process outlined in these guides. 

The Benefits of Using the Guides 

A standardized first response that promotes collaboration 
should improve the effectiveness of initial interviews. Since 
the information gathered during a first response is vital to 
effective investigation and prevention of repeat victimization, 
the guides are designed to help reduce crime and increase the 
effectiveness of community policing. 


Police conduct has a tremendous influence on how victims 
respond to the aftermath of a crime. A compassionate and 
effective response will help to create a positive perception of 
the police and encourage victims to work with the police and 
other agencies of the criminal justice system. 

Implementation 

Law enforcement agencies wishing to implement the 
processes outlined in the guides should make adjustments to 
fit local laws, policies, and procedures. Customized first 
response procedures will need to specify the role of the 
responding officer, define the criminal justice processes, and 
provide detailed information about local victim assistance 
resources. More specific questions should be developed, based 
on local laws and conditions. Remember to allow the first 
response interview to flow naturally rather than require 
officers to read a defined list of questions. It is important that 
first responders use these guides to develop a two-way 
conversation with victims. 


First Response to 
Domestic Violence 
Prepared by David R. Anderson and Susan Herman 
Domestic Violence First Response 


37First Response to Domestic Violence 

This guide is designed to complement local protocols and 
officer training on domestic violence issues. It assumes that a 
responding officer will first assess a victim's physical and 
emotional safety. A victim's need for medical attention and 
personal safety is of primary importance. A first responder 
will also want to make sure that the victim is separated from 
the perpetrator so that the interview is private. Also, 
remember to find out if there are any children involved and 
take steps to keep them safe. 

I. Set Expectations 

Setting expectations at the beginning of a first response is 
critical. Be clear and realistic about what you and your 
police organization can and cannot do. Explain any time 
constraints that may exist and let the victim know that this 
is only the beginning of the assistance that will be 
available. 

Begin by discussing the expected outcomes, allowing the 
victim to explain his or her expectations as well. 

"Before we finish this initial discussion, I want you to know: 

 
Your role in the investigation of the case, 
 
What I'm going to do next, 
 
Who to contact about the case, 
 
Who to contact for other services, 
 
How to minimize your risk and how others 
can help you,
 
What to expect during the next few weeks." 


"Before I leave, I would like to know: 

 
What happened (including the background 
of the incident),
 
More about you, 


 
More about the offender, 
 
Steps you can take to be safer, 
 
Who might be able to help you." 

38 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 

II. Understand the Incident 

History is critical in domestic violence cases. Your 
understanding of the current incident will depend on your 
ability to discover the context of the incident. Events that 
appear insignificant could be part of a campaign of 
intimidation and threats. For example, delivery of flowers 
or gifts may seem innocent, but to a domestic violence 
victim hiding from an abusive partner, it becomes a 
threatening message that s/he now knows where s/he 
lives. 

Domestic violence laws are different in every jurisdiction. 
In most jurisdictions, much of what you do and say to 
offenders and victims will be specified by local ordinance 
and state statutes. Be sure to follow local policies and 
procedures. 

As you work with the victim, your goals are to: 

 
Discover the facts of the case, 
 
Set realistic expectations, 
 
Create a conversation that helps you learn the context 
of the incident, 
 
Develop a plan with the victim to reduce the risk of 
repeat victimization. 


While some of the following questions may be standard in 
a traditional investigation, they are included here so that 
you will understand how the questions can help in the 
development of a collaborative, problem solving approach. 


39First Response to Domestic Violence 
"Who was involved?" 

Find out what the victim knows about the offender. If the 
offender is not at the scene, ask where he or she might be. 
Explain your organization' s arrest and charging policies 
and, based on the nature of the incident, describe what 
you will need to know to make an arrest. Work with the 
victim to collect information about the offender including: 

 
Where the offender lives. 
 
Phone numbers where the offender might be reached. 
 
Names and contact information for the offender's 
friends and colleagues. 
 
Places where the offender might be found. 
 
Whether the offender might use a disguise and how he 
or she might look. 


If the offender is present, you might ask: 

 
"Does the offender have a criminal record?" 
 
"Do you know who the parole/probation officer is?" 
 
"Does the offender have any history of substance 
abuse, access to firearms, a history of violence with 
other people or animals?" 
Finding out about witnesses is important to the 
prosecution of the case and it may help you find people 
who could help ensure the victim's future safety. 


 
"Did anyone else see what happened?" 
 
"Does anyone else know something about what
happened?"


"What happened?" 

Find out the nature of the incident. How did the incident 
start? What did the offender do? You may want to use a 
cognitive interviewing technique and ask the victim to start 
from the end of the incident and then work back to the 


beginning. This approach helps the victim focus on the 
sequence of events and can reveal important information 
that otherwise might not be recalled. Ask about the 
victim's actions in a constructive way. Avoid passing 
judgement. 

40 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
"Has anything like this happened before?" 

This question initiates an effort to find out about the 
context of the incident. An incident of domestic violence 
is often part of a larger pattern of abuse. Knowing that 
violent incidents have occurred before can help you and 
the victim solve the immediate problem and develop an 
effective safety plan. 

Remember to ask if there is any evidence of the past 
incidents. Important evidence includes: 

 
Documented injuries or property damage, 
 
Police or medical reports, 
 
Existing protective orders, 
 
Witness accounts, 
 
Photographs. 


Proof of prior domestic violence may help the victim 
obtain an order of protection and could provide 
prosecutors with the evidence to build a stronger case. 

"Please tell me anything else that you think is 
relevant to this case." 

This statement allows the victim to provide any additional 
information that might help explain the context of the 
incident or reveal important facts that may have been 
skipped earlier. 

III. Develop a Safety Plan 

Now that you have developed an understanding of the 
incident, it is time to plan for the future and take steps to 
maximize the victim's safety. As you work through the 


planning process, record the action items on the Crime 
Incident Action Form. 

41First Response to Domestic Violence 
"Sometimes, once this has happened,
it happens again."


Inform the victim that there is a very real chance that 
more violence will occur and that it is most likely to 
happen within the next three months. 

"What can be done to help you be safe?" 

While the simple answer is that the violence needs to stop, 
the behavior of the offender is not something that victims 
can control. Instead the victim needs to concentrate on 
what he or she can control. Help the victim create a vision 
of safety and then work backwards to determine how that 
vision can become reality. 

Questions that will help you do this include: 

 
"What will help you feel safe tonight? Over the next 
few days?" 
 
"Is there somewhere else you can stay?" 
 
"Are there things you can change in your environment 
(home security, safety outdoors, safety at work) that 
would help you be safer?" 
 
"Who could help you be safe?" 


Follow the victim's lead and, as part of the conversation, 
inform the victim about the services provided in your 
jurisdiction. Be clear about what the police, and other 
agencies, can actually do. Explore the benefits and 
shortcomings of protective orders. Explain what services 
are available to help the victim stay safe. 

Explore how friends or family can help. For example: 

 A domestic violence victim might benefit from a 
cocoon watch  an agreement among neighbors to 
watch for and report suspicious activities. 


42 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
 
Family or friends might be able to provide a place to 
stay, transportation, or financial assistance. 
 
Employers, co-workers, or childcare providers could 
enhance their security procedures. 


Victim advocates can be very helpful working out the 
details of an ongoing safety plan. Encourage them to seek 
their assistance. 

"There are things that you can do to assist the 
investigation." 

Explain your arrest policies and, based on the nature of 
the incident, describe what the police need to know to 
make an arrest. Highlight any missing information and 
encourage the victim to contact you (or the appropriate 
person) with any information that might be recalled at a 
later time. 

Important information for a domestic violence case includes: 

 offender's name, 

 where offender might be found,
 other identifying characteristics.


IV. Review and Record Information 

In closing the interview, you should run through a 
summary of the action items agreed upon during the 
interview. Use the First Response Checklist Card and the 
Crime Incident Action Form to ensure that everything has 
been covered and all decisions and important information 
have been recorded. (Samples are included at the end of 
this guide.) Give a copy of the completed Crime Incident 
Action Form to the victim, together with a "Last Step in 
First Response" card containing contact information. 


43First Response to Domestic Violence 
Case Example


Police respond to a 911 call from a woman reporting 
that her boyfriend assaulted her. A police officer 
arrives at the private residence and is met at the door 
by a young man who says that he and his girlfriend 
had been arguing, but the matter is now resolved. The 
officer asks to come in. A young woman appears from 
a back bedroom, visibly upset as she soothes her 
crying toddler. The officer notes broken glass on the 
floor and an overturned chair. A second officer arrives 
at the scene and removes the boyfriend to another 
room for a separate interview. 

I. SET EXPECTATIONS 

The police officer speaking to the woman outlines the 
purpose of the interview. He explains that he needs 
specific information about her, the incident, her 
boyfriend, and any other relevant background 
information. He informs her that, in addition to 
discussing the basic facts of the incident, they will talk 
about what she needs to be safe right now, what she 
can expect to happen over the next several weeks with 
regard to the report, what her role is in the 
investigation and any charges that result. The officer 
also tells her that information about people she can 
contact for help and support will be provided by the 
end of the interview. 

II. UNDERSTAND THE INCIDENT 

The officer asks open-ended questions (instead of 
questions that can be answered "yes" or "no") about 
who was involved and what happened. The woman 
tells the officer that her boyfriend pushed her. She is 
very upset and discussing the incident is difficult. With 
additional questions from the officer, she says her 
boyfriend was angry and cursing for much of the 
evening, shouting at her that it was her fault their child 
was fussy and crying. After she finally got the child to 


III. SAFETY PLANNING 

44 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
sleep, her boyfriend "exploded." He threw a glass at 
her, which hit the wall instead, and then threw her to 
the ground with both hands. He held her down and 
threatened to kill her, then knocked over the chair as 
he stormed out of the room. She does not have visible 
injuries. She says her arms are slightly sore where he 
held her but she does not want medical attention. 
Further questioning reveals that the boyfriend has 
exhibited similar behavior in the past. The victim 
called police one other time when her boyfriend 
threatened her and pulled the phone off the wall. An 
officer responded and wrote a report, but her boyfriend 
had left the apartment and no charges were filed. She 
says that the boyfriend has threatened her and used 
force in the past, but that tonight's incident was worse 
than his previous behavior. 
Having conferred with his fellow officer, the officer says 
that they will arrest the boyfriend and charge him with 
assault. He explains that the boyfriend will be 
arraigned in the morning and the victim can go to court 
to talk to prosecutors and apply for a protective order 
if she chooses. He also explains what a protective 
order is and how it can be enforced. 
The officer uses this opportunity to talk about safety 
planning. He tells her that he is concerned that the 
violence has escalated. He assures her that the police 
and victim services want to support her in developing 
a plan to keep her safe regardless of whether she 
chooses to separate from her boyfriend. 
The victim is uncertain about a protective order, but 
would like her boyfriend to stay away. She mentions 
her concern that, although she would like to stay in the 
house alone, both her name and her boyfriend's name 
are on the lease. The officer says that the boyfriend 
can be legally ordered to stay away. 


45First Response to Domestic Violence 
The officer and victim then discuss other options 
beginning with simple actions like calling a friend for 
immediate support, and progressing to more complex 
efforts, like obtaining a protective order and 
developing a long-term safety plan with a victim 
advocate. 
Here are the steps identified during the discussion: 

VICTIM OPTIONS 

 Call friend to come over for immediate support. 
 Obtain protective order and change locks. 
 Explore child custody/support. 
 Consider enlisting friends or neighbors to watch 
for the boyfriend and report his presence to the 
police. 
 Relocate to a temporary shelter or other safe 
place. 
 Inform supervisor so that employer can implement 
extra security measures and determine other 
appropriate supportive actions. 
 Notify child care provider in case the boyfriend 
appears at day care or attempts to take child. 

POLICE (AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS) ACTIONS 

 Arrest boyfriend. 
 Assist with the creation of a long-term safety plan. 
 Conduct a home security audit. 
 Assist with the filing of a protective order. 
During this discussion, the officer makes a point of 
describing the services available through the police 
department's victim services unit, local victim service 
agency, and domestic violence program and shelter. 
In addition, the officer explains that a detective will 
call the victim within the next day and will be 
available if the victim remembers anything new or 
develops bruises, which should be photographed. He 


46 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
says that someone from the victim services unit will 
also call, and that the victim should call the 
prosecutor's victim/witness assistant and appear in 
court for the arraignment if s/he chooses. 

IV. REVIEW AND RECORD ACTION ITEMS 

The interview ends with the officer using the Crime 
Incident Action Form to summarize the results of the 
interview, record action items, and provide contact 
information. 


47First Response to Domestic Violence 
Crime Incident Action Form (Case Example) 

INCIDENT OVERVIEW 

Offender 
Name: Alan Smith 
Address: 3456 Treeshade Drive 
City: Brighton State: MA Zip: 01111 
Phone: 617-555-8734 
Place of employment: Computer Graphics Corp. 
Vehicle: 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, grey, 2-door 
Victim 
Name: Nancy Thompson 
Address: 3456 Treeshade Drive 
City: Brighton State: MA Zip: 01111 
Phone: 617-555-8734 
History 
VArrests  yes  no  unknown If yes, list charges: 
Harassment, Warrant outstanding 
VConvictions yes  no  unknown If yes, list sentences: 
VRestraining order/Order of protection yes no If yes, provide information: 
Will apply in a.m. at District Court. 

V

Owns firearms yes  no unknown
Incident summary:
Offender threw glass at victim, pushed her to the floor, and held her down. 

PROCESS OVERVIEW 

In general, this case will proceed asfollows: 
Offender arrested. Report will be immediately 
forwarded to Domestic Violence Detective. 
Detective will follow up for more information. 
District Attorney will review appropriateness of 
charges and arraign defendant in the morning 
after his arrest. 

You can identify this case by: 
Date and location of incident and offender's name 
and date of birth. 

Services you can request include: 
Bail notification if the offender is held on bail. 
Protective order. Home security audit. 

You can help the police by: 
Maintaining contact with detective and prosecutor's 
office. 

Contacting detective if bruises appear or there are 
any other health-related developments. 

Providing information about any efforts Mr. Smith 
makes to contact you, or if he violates your order 
of protection in any way. 

Notifying detective and prosecutor if your contact 
information changes. 


48 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
Within the next 24 hours, you will be contacted by: 

Police victim services specialist and domestic violence detective and District Attorney's Office victim/witness coordinator. 

IMPORTANT CONTACTS 

Shelter for Battered Women - 555-0000 
Police Department Domestic Violence Detective's Unit - 555-2200 
Police Department Victim Services Unit - 555-1114 
District Attorney's Victim/Witness Unity - 555-8800 
Nashua Street Jail - 555-1012 

5-DAY SAFETY PLAN 
Police Department Tasks 

1. 
Arrest Alan Smith. 
2. 
Put victim in contact with victim service professional. 
3. 
Conduct home security audit. 
4. 
Provide copy of police report for victim to share with employer and landlord. 


Victim Options 

1. 
Obtain restraining order. 
2. 
Contact domestic violence advocate and create more detailed safety plan. 
3. 
Provide employer, day care provider, downstairs neighbor and office security personnel with 
copy of restraining order. 
4. 
Contact friends/family for support. 
5. 
Consider options for temporary emergency shelter. Crime Incident Action Form (Domestic 
Violence) 



49First Response to Domestic Violence 
Crime Incident Form (Domestic Violence) 

INCIDENT OVERVIEW 

Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Place of employment: 
Vehicle: 
Victim 
Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Arrests  yes  no  unknown If yes, list charges: 
Convictions yes  no  unknown If yes, list sentences: 
Restraining order/Order of protection yes no If yes, provide information: 
Owns firearms yes  no unknown 
Incident summary: 

PROCESS OVERVIEW 

In general, this case will proceed asYou can help the police by: 
follows: 

You can identify this case by: 

Services you can request include: 


50 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
Within the next 24 hours, you will be contacted by: 

IMPORTANT CONTACTS 

5-DAY SAFETY PLAN 
Police Department Tasks 

Victim Options 


First Response to 
Residential Burglary 
Prepared by David R. Anderson and Susan Herman 
Residential Burglary First Response 


53A Police Guide to First Response 
Residential Burglary 

This guide is designed to complement protocols and policies 
governing the response to residential burglary. It assumes that 
the first officer on the scene will assess a victim's physical and 
emotional safety. 

I. Set Expectations 

Setting expectations at the beginning of a first response is 
critical. Be clear and realistic about what you and your 
police organization can and cannot do. Explain any time 
constraints that may exist and let the victim know that 
your work is only the beginning of the assistance that will 
be available. 

Begin by discussing the expected outcomes, allowing the 
victim to explain his or her expectations as well. 

"Before I leave, I would like you to know: 

 
Your role in the investigation of the case, 
 
What I'm going to do next, 
 
Who to contact about the case, 
 
Who to contact for other services, 
 
How to minimize your risk and how others 
can help you,
 
What to expect during the next few weeks." 


"Before I leave, I would like to know: 

 
What happened (including the background 
of the incident),
 
More about who you think could be responsible; 
 
More about your neighborhood, 
 
Steps you can take to be safer, 
 
Who might be able to help you." 



54 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
II. Understand the Incident 

Context is important in residential burglary cases. Learning 
about the surrounding community will strengthen your 
preliminary investigation and help you understand what 
might be done to prevent repeat victimization. Are there 
tensions between different families or groups in the 
neighborhood? Are there other incidents of burglary or 
crime problems, like drug dealing or street crimes, that 
have occurred in the recent past? What does the 
neighborhood look like? Are the homes and buildings in 
good repair? Are there wooded areas or other places that 
could provide a hiding place for burglars? Does the layout 
of the neighborhood or the design of the housing stock 
make the area more vulnerable to burglary? Involve 
victims in your effort to understand the physical 
characteristics of the incident. 

As you work with the victim, your goals are to: 

 
Discover the facts of the case. 
 
Create a conversation that helps you understand the 
context of the incident. 
 
Develop a plan with the victim to reduce the risk of 
repeat victimization. 


"What happened?" 

Find out the nature of the incident. Was the victim away
from home for some period of time? How did the victim
discover what had taken place? How might an intruder
have gained entry? What items are missing or out of
place? 


"Who might have knowledge about your routine?" 
"Is there anyone who has access to your home?" 
"Is there anyone who is familiar with your home and
possessions who might have done this?" 
"Is there anyone who might have seen what happened?"



55A Police Guide to First Response 
Residential Burglary 
"Has this happened to you before?" 

Explain the particular information you need to solve the 
case. Tell the victim that the information they provide will 
be vital to the effort to catch the perpetrator. Your goal is 
to help the victim think broadly about acquaintances (even 
family members) who might be involved in the crime or 
have information about what happened. Explain that most 
burglaries are committed by people known to the victim 
and it is important to explore the possibility that the 
victim knows who the offender might be. In addition, find 
out if a neighbor may have been a witness or knows 
something about the incident. Not only could neighbors 
serve as witnesses, they may be able to help prevent a 
repeat burglary and protect other homes in the 
neighborhood. 

"Has anything like this happened before, to you 
or someone you know?" 

This question initiates an effort to learn more about the 
context of the incident. Residential burglary is often 
repeated in neighborhoods. Knowing that others nearby 
have been burglarized can help investigators, the victim, 
and possibly the surrounding neighborhood in developing 
an effective, community-wide strategy to prevent burglary. 

III. Safety Planning 

Now that you and the victim have analyzed the incident, it 
is time to plan for the future and take some steps to 
maximize the victim's safety and try to prevent 
revictimization. Explain that being burglarized once 
indicates a greater risk for future burglaries, especially 
during the next three months. While it impossible to say 
how much greater that risk is, there are ways to reduce it. 


56 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
"Sometimes once this has happened, 
it happens again." 

Inform the victim that there is a chance that another 
burglary will occur and that it is most likely to happen 
within the next three months. 

"Do you have any ideas about what could be 
done to prevent this from happening again?" 

Use the facts of the case to help the victim improve the 
home's immediate security. Observe any security 
weaknesses and provide general advice about what the 
victim could do to get more information and assistance. 

Follow the victim's lead. As part of the conversation, 
inform the victim about the services available in your 
jurisdiction, such as a home safety inspections or low-cost 
security equipment. This is also the time to explain what 
the police, and other agencies, can and cannot do. Make 
sure to tell the victim how long (hours, days, etc.) it will 
take for other services to respond. Record this information 
in the Incident Action Form. 

"Who could help you be safe?" 

Explore ideas about how friends or family might be able 
to help. For example, a burglary victim might benefit from 
a cocoon watchan agreement among neighbors to watch 
for and report suspicious activities. Talk with the victim 
about existing neighborhood groups (neighborhood watch, 
community development corporations) that could help. If 
nearby homes have been burglarized recently, explain how 
the victim might work with other community members to 
reduce the entire neighborhood's risk of burglary. 

"There are things that you can do to 
assist the investigation." 

Explain your arrest policies and, based on the nature of 
the incident, describe what the police will need to know to 


make an arrest. Highlight any missing information and 
encourage the victim to contact you (or the appropriate 
person) with any information that might be recalled at a 
later time. 

57A Police Guide to First Response 
Residential Burglary 
Important information for a burglary investigation includes: 

 
possible suspects, including description and other 
information, 
 
list of objects stolen, 
 
how the burglar gained entry, 


 other incidents of burglary or any other suspicious 
activity in the neighborhood. 

IV. Review and Record Information 

In closing the interview, run through a summary of the 
agreed action items. Use the First Response Checklist Card 
and the Crime Incident Action Form to ensure that everything 
has been covered and all decisions and important 
information have been recorded. Complete the Crime 
Incident Action Form and give a copy to the victim, together 
with a "Last Step in First Response" card with contact 
information. 

A sample Crime Incident Action Form is included with 
this guide. You can adapt it to fit the needs of your 
organization."Last Step in First Response" cards can be 
ordered through The National Center for Victims of 
Crime website at www.ncvc.org 


58 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
Case Example


A 911 caller reports a burglary. A police officer arrives at 
a detached, single-family home. The victims, a middle-
aged couple named Mr. and Mrs. Jones, report that they 
arrived home to find their house had been broken into 
and that money and personal items had been stolen. 

I. SET EXPECTATIONS 

The police officer outlines the purpose of the interview. 
She explains that she needs specific information about 
Mr. and Mrs. Jones, the incident, possible witnesses, 
and other relevant background information. In addition to 
discussing the basic facts of the incident, she informs 
Mr. and Mrs. Jones that they will talk about what they 
can do to protect their home right now, what they can 
expect to happen over the next several weeks, and what 
their role is in the investigation, and any charges that 
may result. The officer also outlines what information the 
police will need to solve the case. 

II. UNDERSTAND THE INCIDENT 

The officer poses open-ended questions about what 
happened. Mr. and Mrs. Jones returned home after an 
evening out. They entered through the front door and 
found their rooms in disarray. They left immediately and 
called police from a neighbor's house. The neighbor 
accompanied them back home, where they discovered 
the back door lock had been broken. Jewelry and cash 
were missing from an upstairs bureau. They have not 
had time to ascertain what other items might be missing. 
The neighbor lives in fairly close proximity and did not 
hear or see any suspicious activity, but he and his family 
had only arrived home about an hour before Mr. and 
Mrs. Jones. The neighbor reports that he has heard 
reports of another break-in down the street. 
Mr. and Mrs. Jones live in a middle-class neighborhood, 


III. SAFETY PLANNING 

59A Police Guide to First Response 
Residential Burglary 
on a dimly lit cul-de-sac with little pedestrian or vehicular 
traffic. Their unfenced backyard borders on undeveloped 
land. Some neighbors have lived on the street for years 
while others are relatively new to the neighborhood. 
Except for the other burglary down the street, Mr. and 
Mrs. Jones and the witness have not heard about other 
crime problems in the neighborhood. 
Mr. and Mrs. Jones are concerned about the broken lock 
and will call a locksmith to replace it immediately with a 
more secure lock. The police officer explains that there 
is a greater risk of another burglary within the next three 
months and uses this opportunity to talk about some 
specific steps the victims and their neighbors can take to 
improve the security around their homes. 
The officer then discusses other steps beginning with 
simple actions. 

Victim Options 

 Replace/upgrade door locks. 
 Engrave valuables. 
 Increase outside lighting. 
 Have local municipality cut back overgrown trees to 
increase backyard visibility. 
 Improve backyard security with a fence. 
 Install a home security system or get a dog. 
 Enlist neighbors to watch for suspicious activity. 
 Contact local victims oganization. 

Police (and partner organizations) Actions 

 Provide engraving tool to area homeowners. 
 Conduct a home security audit of the Jones' home. 
 Help to organize a community safety meeting. 
 Interview witnesses in neighborhood. 
 Look for stolen items in area pawn shops. 
 Compare the incident to other known incidents. 
 Arrest offender. 


60 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
During this discussion, the officer makes a point of 
describing the services available through the 
Department's victim services unit. In addition, the officer 
talks about how local Neighborhood Watch Network 
(NWN) can help the Mr. and Mrs. Jones and other 
neighbors reduce the risk of burglary throughout the 
neighborhood. For example, the Joneses might work 
with the NWN to create a "cocoon watch" - an 
agreement among neighbors to watch for and report 
suspicious activities during the two months of high risk 
following the burglary. Neighbors would be asked to 
make a special effort to be on the lookout for specific 
kinds of behavior and report it promptly. 

The officer also explains that a detective will call on the 
victims for additional information. The victims learn that 
they will be notified by the detective if any articles 
surface resembling the stolen items. The officer explains 
the time frame and process for returning any recovered 
items and that the prosecutor's office will notify the 
victims if an arrest is made. 

The officer explains how the family can get a copy of the 
burglary report for insurance purposes and provides 
them with a brochure that describes the process. The 
victims provide the officer with a photo of one of the 
missing items. Victims will also need photos for 
insurance purposes. The victims will contact the 
detective unit with descriptions of any other items 
determined to be missing. 

IV. REVIEW AND RECORD INFORMATION 

The interview ends with the officer completing the Crime 
Incident Action Form to summarize the results of the 
interview and record action items, and giving the victim a 
Last Step in First Response card containing the contact 
information . 

61A Police Guide to First Response 
Domestic Violence, Residential Burglary and Automobile Theft 
Case Example Crime Incident Action Form (Residential Burglary) 

INCIDENT OVERVIEW 

Offender 
Name: Unknown 
Witness 
Name: Terrance Davis 
Address: 17 Apple Court 
City: Aurora State: IL Zip: 01111 
Phone: 708-555-7331 
Victim 
Name: Jim Jones 
Name: 
Address: 21 Apple Ct. 
City: Aurora State: IL Zip: 01111 
Phone: 708-555-8787 

Incident Summary
Victims arrived home to find had been burglarized between 5:30 and 9:20 pm. Cash, 
jewelry, possibly other items stolen. Victims and neighbor discovered damaged rear lock. 

PROCESS OVERVIEW
In general, this case will proceed as follows:

Report will be immediately assigned to 
Detective Unit. Detective will follow up to 
collect more information. 

You can identify this case by:
Date and location of incident. 
Within the next 24 hours, you will be 
contacted by: 
Police victim services specialist and detective. 
(If a suspect is arrested, you will also be 
contacted within 24 hours by the District 
Attorney's Office victim/witness coordinator.) 

Services you can request include:
Home security audit. 

You can help the police by:
Providing any additional information about 
possible suspects and descriptions or photos 
of missing items. 
Notifying detective if your contact information 
changes. 


62 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
IMPORTANT CONTACTS 

Neighborhood Watch Network - 555-0000 
Police Department Burglary Response Detective's Unit - 555-2200 
Police Department Victim Services Unit - 555-1114 
District Attorney's Victim/Witness Unity - 555-8800 

PERSONAL 5-DAY SAFETY PLAN 
Police Department Tasks 

1. 
Forward report to Crime Prevention Unit and have CPU contact the victim to conduct 
a home security assessment. 
2. 
Assign detective to follow up with victim. 
3. 
See that victim services professional contacts victim 


Victim Options 

4. 
Arrange for replacement/upgrade of door locks. 
5. 
Work with Crime Prevention Unit on a home security assessment to determine
additional steps.
6. 
Share information with neighbors and discuss possibilities for organized neighborhood 
watch, including a cocoon watch. 



63A Police Guide to First Response 
Residential Burglary 
Crime Incident Action Form (Residential Burglary) 

INCIDENT OVERVIEW 

Offender 
Name: 
Witness 
Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Incident Summary 
Victim 
Name: 
Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
PROCESS OVERVIEW 
In general, this case will proceed as follows: 
You can help the police by: 

. 


You can identify this case by: 

Services you can request include: 


64 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
IMPORTANT CONTACTS 

PERSONAL 5-DAY SAFETY PLAN 
Police Department Tasks 

Victim Options 


First Response to 
Automobile Theft 
by David R. Anderson and Susan Herman 
Automobile Theft First Response 


67A Police Guide to First Response 
Automobile Theft 
This guide is designed to complement protocols and policies 
governing the response to automobile theft. 

I. Set Expectations 

Setting expectations at the beginning of a first response is 
critical. Be clear and realistic about what you and your 
organization can and cannot do. Explain any time 
constraints that may exist and let the victim know that your 
work is only the beginning of the assistance that will be 
available. 

Begin by discussing the expected outcomes of the
interview, allowing the victim to explain his or her
expectations as well.


"Before I leave, I would like you to know: 

 
Your role in the investigation of the case, 
 
What I'm going to do next, 
 
Who to contact about the case, 
 
Who to contact for other services, 
 
How to minimize your risk and how others 
can help you,
 
What to expect during the next few weeks." 


"Before I leave, I would like to know: 

 
What happened (including the circumstances 
of the incident),
 
More about you, 
 
More about who might be responsible, 
 
More about the location of the incident." 


II. Understand the Incident 

What you learn about the context of the crime will inform 
your investigation. If the theft occurred in an area familiar 


to the victim, does the victim know of a history of similar 
crimes in the area? Are there other incidents of vehicle 
theft or crime problems (drug dealing, robbery, theft from 
vehicles) that have occurred in the area? Does the layout 
of the neighborhood or the design of the housing stock 
make vehicles more vulnerable to theft? (For example, 
apartment complexes with large parking lots are 
particularly vulnerable.) Involve the victim and, if possible, 
other community members in your effort to understand 
the physical characteristics of the incident. 

68 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
As you work with the victim, your goals are to: 

 
Discover the facts of the case. 
 
Create a conversation that helps you understand the 
context of the incident. 
 
Develop a plan with the victim to reduce the risk of 
repeat victimization. 


"What happened?" 

Find out the nature of the incident. How did the victim 
discover the theft? Had the victim been away from the car 
for some period of time? Is the victim a visitor to the area 
and, if so, did the car have rental or out-of-state plates? Is 
parking in this area part of the victim's usual routine? 
How might a thief have gained entry to the vehicle? Was 
the vehicle locked? Is there any evidence that the vehicle's 
window was broken? Was there a parking attendant 
nearby? Is the parking spot well-lit and visible to passers 
by? Would a thief have had to overcome any security 
measures like a fence or a locked door? 

Explain the particular information you need to solve the 
case. Tell the victim that the information they provide will 
be vital to the effort to catch the perpetrator and to 
prevent future vehicle thefts in the area. 


69A Police Guide to First Response 
Automobile Theft 
"Has anything like this happened before, to you or 
someone you know?" 

This question initiates an effort to find out more about the 
context of the incident. Auto theft is often a chronic 
problem in places like parking lots, garages, and 
neighborhoods with a lot of on-street parking. Knowing 
that others nearby have had their cars stolen can aid 
investigators, the victim, and possibly the surrounding 
neighborhood in developing an effective community-wide 
strategy to address vehicle theft. 

III. Problem Solving 

Now that you and the victim have reviewed the facts and 
context of the theft, spend some time focusing on the 
problems that arise with the loss of transportation. 

Explain how your organization handles auto theft. Go 
over any paperwork that you and the victim must complete 
and make sure the victim understands what will be needed 
for insurance records. 

Explain what happens if the vehicle is found, including 
procedures for how the vehicle would be returned. Tell the 
victim about any storage and towing fees that could be 
assessed. 

"Will you be able to get transportation to wherever 
you were going next?" 

Help the victim find public transportation, taxi services 
and/or the nearest telephone so that he or she can make 
travel arrangements. 

"This incident indicates that you and other people 
who park in this lot have a greater risk of future 
thefts. Do you have any ideas about how you might be 
able to reduce your risk of automobile theft in the 
future?" 


70 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
Use the facts of the case to help the victim prevent vehicle 
theft in the future. Explain that there is a risk of future 
vehicle theft if prevention steps are not taken. Note any 
security weaknesses of the car or the location where it was 
parked, based on the information you have collected. 
Then, provide advice about what the victim could do and 
where he/she can turn for more information. Take care to 
offer advice in a constructive fashion. 

For example, mechanical devices like an ignition interlock 
or a steering wheel locking bar could prevent another 
theft. Parking in a more secure area such as a ga locked 
garage or enclosed lot might reduce risk. Working with 
other vehicle owners to increase security could help 
prevent auto theft throughout the community. Talk with 
the victim about existing neighborhood groups (police 
crime prevention units, neighborhood watch, parking lot 
operators) that could help. 

"There are things that you can do to assist the 

investigation." 

Explain your arrest policies and, based on the nature of 
the incident, describe what the police will need to know to 
make an arrest. Highlight any missing information and 
encourage the victim to contact you (or the appropriate 
person) with any information that might be recalled at a 
later time. 

Important information for an automobile theft investigation 
includes: 

 
Possible suspects, including description and other 
information; 
 
Information about the vehicle, including the VIN 
number and license plate; 
 
How the burglar gained entry. 



71A Police Guide to First Response 
Automobile Theft 
Tell the victim about any services available in your
jurisdiction.


If applicable, inform the victim about programs that 
might help with short-term transit needs or assistance with 
insurance procedures. Work with the victim to identify 
local organizations that might be able to help if there is a 
chronic problem with car theft in the area. 

IV. Review and Record Information 

In closing the interview, run through a summary of the 
action items and information exchanged during the 
interview, using the First Response Checklist Card and the 
Crime Incident Action Form should be used to ensure that 
everything has been covered and that all decisions and 
important information have been recorded. Fill out the 
form and give a copy to the victim. Samples of the First 
Response Checklist Card and Crime Incident Action Form 
are included with this guide. 


72 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
Case Example


A 911 call is placed reporting an auto theft. The victim 
states that his car was stolen from a public parking lot 
near his workplace. A police officer responds to take the 
report. 

I. Set Expectations 

Upon meeting the victim, the police officer outlines the 
purpose of the interview, explaining that she needs 
specific information about the victim, the incident, 
possible witnesses, and relevant background 
information. In addition to discussing the basic facts of 
the incident, she informs the victim that they will talk 
about what the victim can expect to happen over the 
next several weeks, what his role is in the investigation, 
and what steps the victim could take to protect himself 
from revictimization. 

II. Understand the Incident 

The officer poses open-ended questions about what 
happened. The victim discovered his car was missing at 
the end of the workday. He had parked the beige, 1993 
Toyota Camry in his usual spot in part of the lot behind 
the building, shielded from the street and the sidewalk. 
Because he arrives very early, the parking lot is 
relatively empty and free of activity at that time. When 
he left work, he found another car parked in the spot 
where he had left his car. 
The victim reports that the lot generally fills up each day 
with people who work in his and the neighboring 
buildings. He has not heard any reports of other car 
thefts, though one colleague reported his car had been 
broken into in recent weeks. There is a parking lot 
attendant. 


III. Solve Problems 

73A Police Guide to First Response 
Automobile Theft 
This is the victim's first experience with vehicle theft. The 
car doors were locked but the car was not equipped with 
any additional security devices. 
The officer explains the procedures for auto theft and 
walks the victim through the paper work, making sure 
that the victim retains copies of paperwork that will be 
required for insurance reports. She also explains that the 
car could be recovered and, if it is, it will be stored in the 
city's impoundment lot and the victim will be contacted 
by the manager of the lot. 

Having dealt with the victim's immediate concerns, the 
officer explains that certain locations can become 
targeted by car thieves, leaving those who park there 
vulnerable to revictimization. She mentions the 
advantages of parking in well-lit areas, with a lot of 
pedestrian traffic. In addition, she advises him that he 
should try to park within sight of the attendant's office. 
She tells him that some insurance companies offer 
reduced rates to customers who equip their vehicles with 
security devices and gives the victim a brochure about 
anti-theft devices. 

The officer describes the Crime Prevention Unit (CPU), 
which can advise the victim on security measures that 
may protect him from such crimes in the future. In 
addition, the officer tells the victim that, with his help, the 
CPU could also work with the parking lot owners and the 
businesses in the building to devise more effective 
security measures. For example, the CPU could work 
with workers in the building to organize a program to 
install anti-theft devices and report any suspicious 
activity. The officer also tells the victim that he can 
contact the Victim Services Unit with other questions or 
problems related to the case. 

74 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
During their discussion, the officer and the victim identify 
the following action steps: 

Victim Options 

 Report the crime to insurance company. 
 Provide police with VIN number. 
 Report crime to parking lot administrator. 
 Notify employer and fellow employees who park in 
the area and encourage them to report suspicious 
activity. 
 Research safety devices and alternate parking 
arrangements for the future. 

Police (and partner organizations) Actions 

 Compare the incident to other known incidents. 
 Look for stolen vehicle. 
 Request that the Crime Prevention Unit contact the 
victim and the parking lot ownership to offer help 
prevent future thefts. 
 Interview the parking lot attendant. 
 Arrest offender. 

Review/Define Action Items 

The First Response Checklist Card and the Crime Incident 
Action Form should be used to ensure that everything has 
been covered and all decisions and important information 
have been recorded. A sample Crime Incident Action Form 
is included with this guide. You can adapt it to fit the needs 
of your organization. 

The interview should end with the officer using the Crime 
Incident Action Form to summarize the results of the 
interview and record action items and giving the victim the 
"Last Step in First Response" card with contact information. 
Last Step in First Response Cards can be ordered through 
The National Center for Victims of Crime website, 
www.ncvc.org 


75A Police Guide to First Response 
Automobile Theft 
Case Example Crime Incident Action Form (Residential Burglary) 

INCIDENT OVERVIEW 

Offender 
Name: Unknown 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Victim 
Name: John Lewis 
Address: 233 Cypress Street 
City: Fairfax State: VA Zip: 22114 
Phone: 703-555-8331 

Incident Location
EZ Park, 1 Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22114 

Incident Summary 
Victim parked car in back right corner of lot at approximately 7:20 a.m. Returned at 5:10 
p.m. to discover car had been taken. 

PROCESS OVERVIEW 

In general, this case will proceed as follows: 

Report will be processed by Property 
Crimes Unit. Victim will contact Unit with 
VIN number. 

You can identify this case by:
Date and location of incident. 

Services you can request include:
Crime prevention information from the 
Crime Prevention Unit. 

You can help the police by: 
Tell the police about any suspicious activity in
and around the parking lot. 
Providing any additional information,
descriptions or photos of missing vehicle.
Notifying police if your contact information
changes.



76 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
IMPORTANT CONTACTS
Police Department Property Crimes Unit - 555-0000
Police Department Crime Prevention Unit - 555-2200
Police Department Victim Services Unit - 555-1114
Police Department Vehicle Impoundment Lot - 555-5678
Local Victim Services Agency - 555- 7512

THEFT PROBLEM SOLVING PLAN 
Police Department Tasks 
1. 
Compare the incident to other known incidents. 
2. 
Request that the Crime Prevention Unit contact the victim and the parking lot ownership 
to offer help with preventing future thefts. 

Victim Options 
1. 
Research safety devices and alternate parking arrangements. 
2. 
Contact Crime Prevention Unit. 
3. 
Notify parking lot administrator, employer and fellow employees of the crime. 


77A Police Guide to First Response 
Automobile Theft 
Crime Incident Action Form (Automobile Theft) 

INCIDENT OVERVIEW 

Offender 
Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
 
Victim 
Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Incident Location
Incident Summary 
PROCESS OVERVIEW 
In general, this case will proceed as follows: 
 
You can identify this case by:  

Services you can request include:

You can help the police by:


78 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
IMPORTANT CONTACTS 

THEFT PROBLEM SOLVING PLAN 

Police Department Tasks 

Victim Options 


79Endnotes 
Endnotes 

1. 
Pease, Ken. 1998. "Repeat Victimisation: Taking Stock." 
Crime Detection and Prevention Series paper 90, Home 
Office Police Research Group. Available for download at 
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/prgpubs/fcdps90.pdf. 
2. 
Ibid. 
3. 
Mayhew, Pat and Jan van Dijk.1997. "Criminal victimization 
in eleven industrialized countries: key findings from the 1996 
International Crime Victims Survey." Onderzoek en Belied, 
#162. 



81Additonal Resources 
Additional Resources 

Pioneering work undertaken by the British Home Office Policing 
and Reducing Crime Unit (PRCU) informed this project and 
useful reports can be found on their website at 
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/prgpubs.htm. Other information 
can be obtained by contacting the Home Office, Policing and 
Reducing Crime Unit. 
Address: Clive House, Petty France, London, 
SW1H 9HD, U.K. 
Telephone: 44 207 271 8225 / 8568 / 8341 
Fax: 011 44 207 271 8344 
email: prg@prg-homeoffice.demon.co.uk 

For an excellent review of repeat victimization trends: 

Bridgeman, Cressida and Hobbs, Louise.1998. "Preventing 
Repeat Victimization: The Police Officer's Guide." Available 
from the Home Office by mail or fax. 

For additional information about the Huddersfield project: 

Anderson, David, Chenery, Sylvia and Pease, Ken. 1995."Biting 
Back: Tackling Repeat Burglary and Car Crime." Available for 
download at 
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/prgpubs/cdp58bf.pdf. 

Anderson, David, Chenery, Sylvia and Pease, Ken. 1997. "Biting 
Back II: Reducing Repeat Victimisation in Huddersfield." 
Available for download at 
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/prgpubs/fcdps82.pdf. 

For additional information about the Killingbeck project: 

"Arresting Evidence: Domestic Violence and Repeat 
Victimisation" by Jalna Hanmer, Sue Griffiths and David 
Jerwood. 1999. 
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/prgpubs/fprs104.pdf 


82 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
A technique called "cognitive interviewing" has proven 
to be very effective. Here are a few resources: 

"Interviewing Victims and Witnesses of Crime" by R. Edward 
Geiselman and Ronald P. Fisher, National Institute of Justice, 
Research in Brief, December 1985. 

"New Approach to Interviewing Children: A Test of Its 
Effectiveness," National Institute of Justice, Research in Brief, 
May 1992. 

For a fascinating guide to domestic violence risk 
assessment and safety planning, see: 

"A Guide to Domestic Violence Risk Assessment, Risk 
Reduction and Safety Plan," Metro Nashville Police 
Department, 
http://www.nashville.net/~police/abuse/stalking.htm, 2000. 

To learn more about the investigative process, including 
the role of patrol officers, investigators and victims, see: 

The Criminal Investigation Process, Rand Corporation, 
Technical Report R-1776-DOJ, R-1777-DOJ, Santa Monica, 
California, 1975. 

Solving Crimes: The Investigation of Burglary and Robbery 
by John Eck, Police Executive Research Forum, 1983, 1992. 

For an overview of the current trends in police response 
to victims, see: 

First Response to Victims of Crime, Office for Victims of 
Crime, 2000. 


83Additonal Resources 
Law Enforcement's Promising Practices in the Treatment of 
Crime Victims, Office for Victims of Crime, 1997. 

To find out how victim satisfaction is affected by police 
response, see: 

"Victim Assessment of the Police Response to Burglary: The 
Relative Effects on Incident, Police Action, Outcome and 
Demographic Variables on Citizen Satisfaction" by David 
Hirschel, Richard Lumb, and Russell Johnson, Police 
Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 4, 1998. 

"The Efficacy of Expectancy: Disconfirmation in Explaining 
Crime Victim Satisfaction with the Police" by Meghan 
Stroshine Chandek and Christopher O.L.H. Porter, Police 
Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 4, 1998. 


85First Response to Domestic Violence 
Crime Incident Form (Domestic Violence) 

INCIDENT OVERVIEW 

Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Place of employment: 
Vehicle: 
Victim 
Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Arrests  yes  no  unknown If yes, list charges: 

Convictions yes  no  unknown If yes, list sentences: 

Restraining order/Order of protection yes no If yes, provide information: 

Owns firearms yes  no unknown 
Incident summary: 

PROCESS OVERVIEW 

In general, this case will proceed as 
follows: 

You can identify this case by: 

Services you can request include: 

You can help the police by:


86 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
Within the next 24 hours, you will be contacted by: 

IMPORTANT CONTACTS 

5-DAY SAFETY PLAN 
Police Department Tasks 

Victim Options 


87First Response to Domestic Violence 
First Response Checklist Card (Domestic Violence) 

Set Expectations 
   Police should know: 
__ What happened. 
__ Victim information. 
__ Offender information. 
__ Safety plan. 
   Victim should know: 
__ Role in investigation. 
__ Next steps. 
__ Who to contact for help and information. 
__ How to minimize risk. 
__ What to expect in the future. 

Understand the Incident 
__ Who was involved. 
__ What happened. 
__ Has anything like it happened before. 

Safety Planning
__ Possible ways to prevent another incident. 
__ How to aid the investigation and deterrence. 
__ Where to get help. 
__ 5-Day Safety Plan. 

Review and Record 
Information 
__ Complete Crime Incident Action Form. 

First Response Checklist Card (Domestic Violence) 

Set Expectations 
   Police should know: 
__ What happened. 
__ Victim information. 
__ Offender information. 
__ Safety plan. 
   Victim should know: 
__ Role in investigation. 
__ Next steps. 
__ Who to contact for help and information. 
__ How to minimize risk. 
__ What to expect in the future. 

Understand the Incident 
__ Who was involved. 
__ What happened. 
__ Has anything like it happened before. 

Safety Planning 
__ Possible ways to prevent another incident. 
__ How to aid the investigation and deterrence. 
__ Where to get help. 
__ 5-Day Safety Plan. 

Review and Record 
Information 
__ Complete Crime Incident Action Form. 


89A Police Guide to First Response 
Residential Burglary 
Crime Incident Form (Residential Burglary) 

INCIDENT OVERVIEW 

Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Place of employment: 
Vehicle: 
Victim 
Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Arrests  yes  no  unknown If yes, list charges: 
Convictions yes  no  unknown If yes, list sentences: 
Restraining order/Order of protection yes no If yes, provide information: 
Owns firearms yes  no unknown 
Incident summary: 

PROCESS OVERVIEW 

In general, this case will proceed as 
follows: 

You can identify this case by: 

Services you can request include: 

You can help the police by:


90 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
Within the next 24 hours, you will be contacted by: 

IMPORTANT CONTACTS 

5-DAY SAFETY PLAN 
Police Department Tasks 

Victim Options 


91A Police Guide to First Response 
Residential Burglary 
First Response Checklist Card (Residential Burglary) 

Set Expectations 
   Police should know: 
__ What happened. 
__ Victim information. 
__ Offender information. 
__ Safety plan. 
   Victim should know: 
__ Role in investigation. 
__ Next steps. 
__ Who to contact for help and information. 
__ How to minimize risk. 
__ What to expect in the future. 

Understand the Incident 
__ Who was involved. 
__ What happened. 
__ Has anything like it happened before. 

Safety Planning 
__ Possible ways to prevent another incident. 
__ How to aid the investigation and deterrence. 
__ Where to get help. 
__ 5-Day Safety Plan. 

Review and Record 
Information 
__ Complete Crime Incident Action Form. 

First Response Checklist Card (Residential Burglary) 

Set Expectations 
   Police should know: 
__ What happened. 
__ Victim information. 
__ Offender information. 
__ Safety plan. 
   Victim should know: 
__ Role in investigation. 
__ Next steps. 
__ Who to contact for help and information. 
__ How to minimize risk. 
__ What to expect in the future. 

Understand the Incident 
__ Who was involved. 
__ What happened. 
__ Has anything like it happened before. 

Safety Planning 
__ Possible ways to prevent another incident. 
__ How to aid the investigation and deterrence. 
__ Where to get help. 
__ 5-Day Safety Plan. 

Review and Record 
Information 
__ Complete Crime Incident Action Form. 


93A Police Guide to First Response 
Automobile Theft 
Crime Incident Form (Automobile Theft) 

INCIDENT OVERVIEW 

Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Place of employment: 
Vehicle: 
Victim 
Name: 
Address: 
City: State: Zip: 
Phone: 
Arrests  yes  no  unknown If yes, list charges: 
Convictions yes  no  unknown If yes, list sentences: 
Restraining order/Order of protection yes no If yes, provide information: 
Owns firearms yes  no unknown 
Incident summary: 

PROCESS OVERVIEW 

In general, this case will proceed as 
follows: 

You can identify this case by: 

Services you can request include: 

You can help the police by:


94 Bringing Victims into Community Policing 
Within the next 24 hours, you will be contacted by: 

IMPORTANT CONTACTS 

5-DAY SAFETY PLAN 
Police Department Tasks 

Victim Options 


95A Police Guide to First Response 
Automobile Theft 
First Response Checklist Card (Automobile Theft) 

Set Expectations Police should know: 
__ What happened. 
__ Victim information. 
__ Offender information. 
__ Safety plan. 
Victim should know: 
__ Role in investigation. 
__ Next steps. 
__ Who to contact for help and information. 
__ How to minimize risk. 
__ What to expect in the future. 
Understand the Incident __ Who was involved. 
__ What happened. 
__ Has anything like it happened before. 
Safety Planning __ Possible ways to prevent another incident. 
__ How to aid the investigation and deterrence. 
__ Where to get help. 
__ 5-Day Safety Plan. 
Review and Record 
Information 
__ Complete Crime Incident Action Form. 

First Response Checklist Card (Automobile Theft) 

Set Expectations 
   Police should know: 
__ What happened. 
__ Victim information. 
__ Offender information. 
__ Safety plan. 
   Victim should know: 
__ Role in investigation. 
__ Next steps. 
__ Who to contact for help and information. 
__ How to minimize risk. 
__ What to expect in the future. 

Understand the Incident 
__ Who was involved. 
__ What happened. 
__ Has anything like it happened before. 

Safety Planning 
__ Possible ways to prevent another incident. 
__ How to aid the investigation and deterrence. 
__ Where to get help. 
__ 5-Day Safety Plan. 

Review and Record 
Information
__ Complete Crime Incident Action Form. 


FOR MORE INFORMATION: 
U.S. Department of Justice 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW 
Washington, D.C. 20530 
To obtain details on COPS programs, call the 
U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 1.800.421.6770 
Visit the COPS internet web site at the address listed below. 
e03021477 Updated Date: September 17, 2002 
www.cops.usdoj.gov