The author(s) shown below used Federal funds provided by the U.S.

Department of Justice and prepared the following final report:

Document Title: Evaluating a Multi-Disciplinary Response to

Domestic Violence: The DVERT Program in

Colorado Springs, Final Report

Author(s): Craig D. Uchida ; Carol A. Putnam ; Jennifer

Mastrofski ; Shellie Soloman ; Deborah Dawson

Document No.: 190231

Date Received: September 17, 2001

Award Number: 98-WE-VX-K010

This report has not been published by the U.S. Department of Justice.

To provide better customer service, NCJRS has made this Federallyfunded grant final report available electronically in addition to

traditional paper copies.

Opinions or points of view expressed are those

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect

the official position or policies of the U.S.

Department of Justice.
a; ,- -- 

___ ... .. . 

Consulting on Crime and Public Policy 

. - - --- __ - - - - __. ______ 

, Or. Craig 0. Uchida - President 

PROPERTY OF 

National Criminai Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) 

Box 6000 

Rockville. MD 20849-6rZOO 

Evaluating a Multi-Disciplinary Response to 

Domestic Violence: .The DVERT Program in 

Colorado Springs 

FINAL REPORT a' Final Report Approved By: .- 

Sub mitt ed to t h&ate: 

Colorado Springs Police Department and 

The National Institute of Justice 

By Craig D. Cchida 

Carot A. Futnam 

Jennifer MastroFs ki 

Sheliii: Solomon 

Deborah Dawstsn 

P.O. Box 12279 

Silver Spring, MD 20908 

(301) 4383132 

Fax: (301) 438-3134 

Email: cdilchida@aol corn 

Website: VPJM e 2:stCent~rySolut1ons corn 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Evaluating a Multi-Disciplinary Response to Domestic 

Violence: The DVERT Program in Colorado Springs 

Section 

Abstract 

Introduction 

Section 1: Background 

Key Issues in the Response to Domestic Violence 

Section 2: Research Questions and Methods 

Section 3: Findings 

The DVERT Process and Operations 

Level II Cases 

DVERT and Community Policing 

Perceptions and Attitudes of DVERT Staff 

Victim Interviews 

Table of Contents 

Page Number 

4 

9 

12 

16 

28 

35 

37 

42 

Section 4: Concluding Remarks 

Section 5: Key Findings of the Evaluation 

References 

Appendix 1: DVERT Information and Forms 

Appendix 2: Interview Protocols 

Appendix 3: Report of Findings from DVERT Interviews 

44 

47 

49 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Abstract 

This study examines the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Domestic 

Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT). Through a “researcher-practitioner 

partnership” grant from the National Institute of Justice, 21” Century Solutions, Inc. 

conducted a process evaluation of this unique team. The evaluation effort included a 

careful examination of case files (1 996-2000), observations of DVERT activities, 

interviews with members of DVERT, and interviews with victims of domestic violence. 

Overall, we found that DVERT’s philosophy and activities differ from the 

traditional police response to domestic violence. DVERT follows a multidisciplinary 

approach - it includes over 25 partner agencies that work together to keep the victim safe 

from harm. Police officers and detectives, victim advocates, prosecutors, child service 

providers, probation officers, and health care professionals intervene when serious 

domestic violence cases occur in Colorado Springs. Interventions include: contacts with 

victims by police and advocates; counseling of victims, batterers, and children; arrests; 

support in court; and a full range of family services. DVERT’s activities have resulted in 

better services for victims and their children, more awareness of domestic violence by the 

criminal justice system, the perception of a reduction in violence, and a high level of 

cooperation and collaboration among city and county agencies. 

21’’ Century Solutions, Inc. i 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Evaluating a Multi-Disciplinary Response to Domestic 

Violence: The DVERT Program in Colorado Springs 

€I>- 

Craig D. tlchida 

Carol A. Putnam 

Jennifer iMastrofski 

Shellie Solomon 

Deborah Dawson 

In troduetion 

The problem of domestic violence is not new to Colorado Springs. Over the past 

20 years the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) has received over 15,000 calls 

for service annually for domestic violence. The response to domestic violence by the 

police has been innovative and creative, dating back to the 1980s when the CSPD 

participated in the replication of the Minneapolis spouse assault experiment. Colorado 

Springs was one of six sites that implemented a randomized experiment to test the notion 

that arrest of domestic violence perpetrators could reduce subsequent recidivism. 

Learning from that experience, CSPD formed a non-traditional domestic violence unit in 

1996 -- the Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team or DVERT. Through grants 

from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the 

Violence Against Women Grant Office (VAWGO), DVERT assists victims of the most 

serious domestic violence incidents. 

In 1998,2lSt Century Solutions, Inc. received a grant from the National Institute 

of Justice (NIJ) to form a “researcher-practitioner partnership” with DVERT. The idea 

was to buiId a research capacity within DVERT and to conduct a process evaluation of 

the program. In addition, it was hoped that the process evaluation would set the stage for 

an impact evaluation through the collection of baseline data. For the past three years a 

21’’ Century Solutions, Inc. 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
strong working relationship has developed between 2 1 st Century Solutions, Inc. and 

DVERT. New databases have been developed, baseline data have been collected, and 

computers have been purchased to analyze data by DVERT staff. 

This study is the result of an 18-month evaluation that examined the inner 

workings of DVERT. We rely on data from case files, interviews with DVERT partners 

and victims of domestic violence, and observations of the activities of the participants. 

The report is divided into five sections: 1) Background, 2) Research Methods, 3) 

Findings, 4) Concluding Remarks, and 5) Key Findings. The Background section sets the 

stage for the process evaluation. Here, we describe the CSPD, discuss the DVERT 

concept, and examine previous research to provide a context for the evaluation. Section 2 

on Research Methods describes the data that were collected and the way in which those 

data were analyzed. The third section presents our findings and includes a discussion of 

each of DVERT's three levels of operation, describes the perceptions of DVERT staff, 

and gives the views of a small sample of victims of domestic violence. Section 4, 

Concluding Remarks, briefly discusses the next stage of development for DVERT and 

lays the groundwork for an impact evaluation. The fifth and final section, Key Findings, 

summarizes the results of the evaluation. 

21st Centuty Solutions, Inc. 2 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Section 1 : Background 

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) serves a population of over 

350,000 with over 750 employees, including 528 sworn officers. Over 40% of the 

officers respond to calls for service on a regular basis. Chief Lome Kramer has led the 

department for the past 13 years and has followed a community policing philosophy that 

focuses on “total problem-oriented policing,” Like most police agencies in the 1 990s, 

CSPD implemented community policing throughout the department, but has done so 

methodically, strategically, and thoroughly. Chief Kramer’s vision of total problem 

oriented policing has been adopted by his executive leaders, managers, supervisors, line 

oficers, and civilians. A survey of patrol officers by 21” Century Solutions, Inc. in 2000 

found that “nearly 86% of patrol officers reported the completion of a problem-oriented 

project in the last two years (since 1998). Half of the officers felt the projects were 

somewhat successful and 36% felt they were very successful” (Uchida et al, 2001). 

As further evidence of its success, CSPD received funding from the COPS Office 

to establish a Community Policing Demonstration Center, one of only 2 1 jurisdictions 

across the country to receive awards. With those monies, the department invested in a 

new computerized case management system, developed innovative programs, and 

advanced problem oriented policing. 

The department has decentralized a number of patrol and investigative functions 

through its three divisions -- Falcon, Gold Hill, and Sand Creek. Each substation, 

located in different sections of the city has a commander, crime analysts, investigators, 

traffic officers, neighborhood policing units, and patrol officers. Over the years, CSPD 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 3 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
has transformed itself from a traditional agency to a community-policing department. It 

is within this context that DVERT has developed and flourished. 

Funding History 

Since 1996 CSPD has received federal funds to establish and institutionalize the 

DVERT. This unit, led by Detective Howard Black, involves a partnership and 

collaboration with the Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (hereafter called 

the Center), a private, non-profit victim advocacy organization, and 25 other city and 

county agencies. 

DVERT was first funded by a grant from the Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services (COPS Office). In the years that followed, the Violence Against 

Women Grant Office (VAWGO) and Victim Assistance and Law Enforcement (VALE) 

have continued to fimd the operation.' Under the first COPS Office grant, DVERT fixed 

deficiencies and breakdowns within the criminal justice and social services systems, 

enhanced law enforcement and prosecution in domestic violence cases, and increased the 

safety of victims and containment of perpetrators. 

With funds from the Violence Against Women Grant Office, DVERT addressed 

intervention needs, expanded services, and reach out to more agencies that could assist 

victims of domestic violence. The VAWGO grants provided funds to the CSPD, El Paso 

County Sheriffs Office and rural police agencies for overtime and for equipment, 

computers, and sohare. DVERT used monies to employ battered women advocates and 

caseworkers to assist with children. In addition DVERT expanded its legal advocacy 

services. Finally, DVERT staff developed comprehensive domestic violence training 

21st Centuly Solutions, Inc. 4 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
programs for law enforcement, prosecutors, parole and probation officers, victim 

advocates, and caseworkers. 

Key Issues in the Response to Domestic Violence 

The research context for the DVERT program can be found by examining the 

literature on the police response to incidents of domestic violence over time. In 

particular, Colorado Springs has a unique history of involvement in “cutting-edge” 

domestic violence programs. 

In general, the police response to domestic violence has been slow and 

inconsistent over the last 150 years. This attitude appears to mirror the way in which 

society has looked upon spouse abuse as a criminal act (Hirschel, et al. 1992). Over the 

last two decades, however, the public debate about spouse assault has led to dramatic 

changes in the way in which police respond to incidents of domestic violence. 

The Minneapolis Spouse Assault Study and Replication Studies 

This change has been fueled, in part, by the findings of the Minneapolis Spouse 

Assault Experiment conducted by the Police Foundation in 198 1-82. Sherman and 

Berk’s field experiment (see Sherman and Berk, 1984a and 1984b, and Berk et al., 1988) 

assessed the effects of different police responses to individuals apprehended for spouse 

assault. They found, using a six-month outcome period, that arrest was the most effective 

of three standard methods used by the police (mediation, separation and arrest) to reduce 

domestic violence. This experiment led to an intense debate over arrest as the preferred 

-~ 

’ From these three sources DVERT has received almost $3.2 million. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 5 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
response to misdemeanor domestic violence. As a result of this ground-breaking 

experiment, NIJ hded six sites to replicate the Minneapolis experiment: Dade County, 

FL (see Pate, et a1 1991), Atlanta, GA2; Charlotte, NC (see Hirschel et al., 1992a and 

1992b); Milwaukee, WI (see Sherman et al, 1991 and Sherman et al, 1991); Omaha, NE 

(see Dunford et al., 1989, Dunford et al, 1990 and Dunford, 1992); and Colorado Springs, 

CO (see Berk et al., 1991 and 1992). 

The six replications led to mixed results. In Charlotte, researchers concluded that 

arrest was not a significant deterrent for misdemeanor spouse assault (Hirschel and 

Hutchison, 1992). In Omaha, arrest did not appear to deter subsequent domestic conflict 

after six months any more than separation or mediation (Dunford, 1992). But longerterm follow up shows that arrest can even create more violence in Omaha (Sherman, 

1992). In Miami, victims reported that arrest had a strong deterrent effect, similar to the 

Minneapolis experiment (Pate et al, 1991). 

In Milwaukee, Sherman found that arrest makes some kinds of people more 

frequently violent against their cohabitants. “The evidence shows that while arrest deters 

repeat domestic violence in the short run, arrests with brief custody increase the 

frequency of domestic violence in the long run among offenders in general. The 

evidence also shows that, among cases predominantly reported from Milwaukee’s black 

urban poverty ghetto, different kinds of offenders react differently to arrest: some 

become much more frequently violent, while others become somewhat less frequently 

violent” (Sherman, et al., 1992: 139). 

Sherman (1 992a) sums up the findings of these experiments and further analyses 

in his book on Policing Domestic Violence: 

A final report was not produced by Dr. Stuart Deutsch at Georgia Tech. 2 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 6 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
P- Arrest increases domestic violence among people who have nothing to lose, 

especially the unemployed; 

i Arrest deters domestic violence in cities with higher proportions of white and 

Hispanic suspects; 

v Arrest deters domestic violence in the short run, but escalates violence later on 

in cities with higher proportions of unemployed black suspects; 

j+ A small but chronic portion of all violent couples produce the majority of 

domestic violence incidents; and 

“r Offenders who flee before police arrive are substantially deterred by warrants 

for their arrest, at least in Omaha. 

Of importance to ow evaluation is the experiment in Colorado Springs. Here, 

suspects apprehended for misdemeanor spouse abuse were assigned at random to one of 

four treatments: 1) an emergency order of protection for the victim coupled with arrest of 

the suspect; 2) an emergency order of protection for the victim coupled with immediate 

crisis counseling for the suspect; 3) an emergency order of protection only; or 4) restoring 

order at the scene with no emergency order of protection. Berk et a1 (1992) found that 

the balance of evidence supports deterrent effect for arrest among “good risk offenders,” 

who presumably have a lot to lose by being arrested (1 992: 1 72). They also found that 

according to official data, arrest did not deter repeat domestic violence, while in victim 

interviews, and they found that arrest did deter repeat domestic violence. 

Despite the confusion over the findings from the six sites, feminist groups and 

others concerned with domestic violence demanded a stronger criminal justice response 

to spouse assault. At the same time, a more comprehensive and inclusive strategy has 

developed to respond to domestic violence. Rather than simply relying upon the criminal 

justice system to react to spousal assaults, battered women’s shelters, victim advocates, 

and other entities have worked to respond to domestic violence in a more holistic or 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 7 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
systemic way. During the latter part of the 1990s, the emphasis has moved from a strictly 

enforcement mode to a multidisciplinary or team-based approach to solving domestic 

abuse. This is evident in the development of DVERT. 

In March 1996, Chief Kramer and his staff made a decision to establish a 

domestic violence coordinator position within the department. Chief Kramer believed 

that law enforcement alone could not respond adequately to the problem of domestic 

violence. A more comprehensive approach was needed. The chief selected Detective 

Howard Black for the domestic violence coordinator position. Det. Black’s experience as 

the project director for the Colorado Springs replication experiment and his credibility 

among his police peers made him well suited for the job. He was knowledgeable about 

the problem of domestic violence, understood the research trends and changes in the 

field, and had built up a reputation for working with community groups and victim 

advocates. Furthermore, as a member of the gangs unit and the hostage negotiation team 

within the department, he was well respected by his colleagues. When he took over the 

job, Det. Black evaluated domestic violence policies, procedures and protocols and 

recommended necessary revisions and improvements. He evaluated state domestic 

violence and stalking laws, developed more efficient responses to victims of stalking, and 

participated in the establishment of a statewide tracking system for domestic violence 

perpetrators. Additionally, in keeping with CSPD’s philosophical orientation toward 

community policing efforts, Det. Black facilitated community-based efforts to refine and 

enhance the collective responses in the investigation of domestic violence. The DVERT 

program emerged from these developments in the mid-1 990s. 

2Ist Centuiy Solutions, he. 8 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Systemic and Multidisciplinary Approaches 

DVERT was developed as a systemic and multidisciplinary response to spouse 

assault. It involves the coordination of criminal justice, social service, and community 

based programs (National Resource Council, 1 998). DVERT’ s operations incorporate 

and combine many of the proven strategies studied in three locations in the last decade. 

Three evaluations of the systemic response to spouse assault have been recently 

documented. One study looked primarily at process variables - that is the impact of 

coordinated efforts on arrest rates, prosecution rates, and rates of mandated counseling 

(Gamache et al., 1988). The study found a statistically significant increase in the 

percentage of calls that resulted in arrest and the percentage of arrests that resulted in 

prosecution following establishment of a community intervention project in each of three 

communities. There was also a significant increase in the percentage of men mandated to 

counseling in each of the communities, indicating that coordination among various parts 

of the criminal justice and social service systems may increase criminal justice responses 

to domestic violence. However, arrest, prosecution, and treatment do no necessarily 

ensure a reduction in future violence. 

The second study examined the impact of public education and joint police/social 

worker home visits on recidivism and the use of services (Davis and Taylor, 1997). 

Residents of New York City public housing projects in three police districts were 

randomly assigned to receive public education about domestic violence services or to a 

control group. At 6-month follow-up, no significant differences were observed in the 

number or severity of victim-reported incidents of repeat violence between the 

experimental and control groups; however, both of the experimental groups were 

21st Centuy Solutions, Inc. 9 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
significantly more likely to call the police for the repeat violence than were control 

groups. 

The most recent systemic approach to the domestic violence problem is 

documented in "Beyond Arrest: The Portland, Oregon Domestic Violence Experiment" 

(Jolin et al., 1998). The program in Portland operated under the expectation that 

domestic violence could be reduced by increasing prosecutions and enhancing victim 

empowerment. Jolin and her colleagues examined whether program interventions 

increased prosecutions of misdemeanor domestic violence cases, increased victim 

empowerment, and led to reductions in domestic violence. They also tested the notion 

that arrest followed by enhanced support services for the victim, reduces the recurrence 

of domestic violence more effectively than arrest alone. 

The researchers used a "double-blind" randomization design to assign eligible 

cases to a program treatment group or to a control group, which did not receive the 

program intervention. Findings show that significantly fewer of the treatment group 

(compared to the control group victims) reported that they had experienced further 

violence during the 6 months following the arrest of the batterer. Arrest plus policeinitiated follow-up compared to arrest alone led to reductions in subsequent self-reported 

domestic violence. Also, increased victim perception of empowerment led to reduction 

in self-reported domestic violence. Finally, arrest plus police-initiated follow-up 

compared to arrest alone led to increased prosecutions, convictions, and sanctions for 

batterers. 

From these studies and through discussions with DVERT staff, we developed 

relevant research questions and methods. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 10 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Section 2: Research Questions and Methods 

The DVERT Process. 

We tracked DVERT cases as they came in to the unit to the closure or “deactivation” of the case. This meant coding information from cases that originate through 

referrals fiom a variety of agencies, including the Center for the Prevention of Domestic 

Violence, the Department of Human Services, battered women’s shelters, the Humane 

Society, and others involved in DVERT. We followed cases as they went through the 

entire process. 

We asked the following research questions: How many cases have been referred 

to DVERT? By whom? How many cases have been accepted? Denied? How are these 

cases handled through problem-oriented policing techniques? 

Other general questions included: what are the characteristics of domestic 

violence incidents? Demographic information about the victim and suspect (age, race, 

gender, marital status, education, economic level, etc.); the presence of alcohol or drug 

use; presence or use of a weapon; previous criminal history; mental health; presence of 

children; and other data were collected. 

How many times did the victim call the police? Did the suspect have a criminal 

history? How many times did the victim seek assistance fiom non-police services? Was 

there a pattern or history of abuse? 

Where possible, we explored what happens after arrest. For example, how many 

cases were prosecuted? What was the disposition by the court? What was the level of 

punishment? 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Lastly, we examined DVERTs links to community policing: How does DVERT 

follow the principles of community policing in terms of community engagement, 

organizational adaptation, and problem-oriented policing? 

The Collaboration Process. As part of the evaluation, we observed the 

collaborative process that occurs among DVERT members. We also conducted 

interviews of DVERT staff to gain their understanding of the collaborations. We asked: 

How do members interact? What are the dynamics of the group? How are decisions 

made? What factors are critical in the decision making process? Are there elements of 

the collaboration that can be learned and replicated elsewhere? 

Victim Perspectives. With additional finding from NU we were able to conduct 

interviews with victims of domestic violence. We asked a number of questions 

concerning their experiences with their spousedco-habitants, their perspectives of 

DVERT, and the impact the program has had on their lives. 

Data Collection Instruments 

We gained access to a number of records through the DVERT office: 

1) police records of the perpetrator and victim, including calls for service 

data, arrest reports, and criminal histories; 

2) DVERT case files; and 

3) 

Coding sheets were developed for the information within these documents. 

Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence files on victims. 

Copies are included in the appendix. 

21st Centuly Solutions, Inc. 12 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Interviews 

Dr. Jennifer Mastrofski interviewed 19 persons having key affiliation with 

DVERT. Persons interviewed were identified using two different methods. First, Dr. 

Uchida, Detective Black, and a long-term DVERT staff member suggested names of 

persons with long-term histories on the project. This process resulted in a core list of 

about 10- 12 key persons. Second, after each interview was concluded, interviewees were 

asked to name three persons who he/she felt would be important to interview as well. 

Using this broadly defined snowball sampling, then another 12 persons were scheduled 

for interviews. From this two-step process, 2 1 total interviews were scheduled, two 

persons cancelled, resulting in 19 completed interviews. They represented law 

enforcement, victims' advocates, caseworkers, attorneys, medial professionals, and 

DVERT staff. Questions covered five major areas: history of DVERT, roles of partner 

agencies, impact of DVERT on domestic violence, nature of collaboration among partner 

agencies, and suggestions for improving DVERT. 

Dr. Mastrofski and Ms. Deborah Dawson conducted 18 face-to-face interviews 

and one telephone interview with victims of domestic violence. Staff from DVERT 

selected previous and current clients for the interviews. A 30-item questionnaire (see 

appendix) covered five major areas: previous domestic violence incidents, attitudes 

toward DVERT, perceptions of the criminal justice process, perceptions of social service 

assistance, and overall changes they would recommend. The group of victim 

interviewees should not be viewed as a representative sample of DVERT victims. The 

results from these interviews are therefore interpreted with caution. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 13 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Section 3: Findings 

Overall we find that DVERT is a unique and active blend of social service and 

criminal justice components. More importantly, DVERT is unlike any other domestic 

violence unit situated within a police agency. One of the major differences between 

DVERT and other police programs is its view that the safety ofthe victim is theprimary 

concern. This philosophy drives the way in which advocates and law enforcement work 

with clients and how they work within the criminal justice system and social service 

system. This attitude is in contrast to other special units that are more concerned with an 

arrest and prosecution of the batterer. This also reflects the input of advocates at the 

Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and other partner agencies. 

Second, the program does not follow the traditional police model for a special 

unit. In most police agencies, a domestic violence unit serves as the coordinator for 

department activities. The traditional unit is usually comprised of police officers and a 

victim advocate, but the majority of people are from law enforcement. The traditional 

unit responds to serious domestic violence situations, serves as a referral unit for patrol 

(officers will transfer calls or incidents to the unit), and works with social service 

agencies in its jurisdiction (provide some training and information about police 

practices). The main focus of these special DV units is enforcing the law and bringing 

cases through the criminal justice system. 

e 

DVERT is different from this model. As mentioned above, DVERT is a 

"systemic response" to domestic violence situations because it involves the coordination 

of criminal justice, social service, and community-based agencies. DVERT involves 

efforts to establish communication among criminal justice and social service agencies, to 

2 1 st Century Solutions, Inc. 14 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
establish advocacy services to meet victims’ needs, and to implement policies aimed 

toward more aggressive apprehension and sanctioning of offenders. 

It is also important to point out that cases do not always begin with an arrest or 

call for service. This subtle but important difference sets DVERT apart from other policebased programs. In most situations, DVERT accepts a case because the client is in 

imminent danger, not necessarily because an arrest has occurred. This is in stark contrast 

to the way in which other law enforcement departments operate and the way in which 

other researchers have documented and focused upon the police response to domestic 

violence. DVERT is truly a multi-disciplinary response to domestic violence. It takes a 

more balanced approach to the problem of domestic violence, as it spreads the 

responsibility for the problem to a number of agencies, not just the police. 

This philosophy permeates the unit in a number of ways. The best example is the 

way in which decisions are made regarding acceptance of cases. Representatives of the 

CSPD, the Center, the Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Humane Society, 

as well as a local physician make decisions about accepting or not accepting cases. Cases 

are discussed openly and freely. Disagreements occur about the seriousness of the case, 

but a consensus about accepting or rejecting the client is always attained. Another 

example is in the physical location of the unit. DVERT is located in a building apart 

from the police department and other partners? About 25 staff members work in these 

offices, including DVERT coordinator Det. Howard Black. The overwhelming majority 

of DVERT staff is not formally affiliated with the Colorado Spring Police Department. 

Staff members are advocates from the Center, DHS caseworkers, probation officers, a 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 15 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
deputy district attorney, and detectives from other local law enforcement agencies. By 

having these representatives under one roof, communication among agencies is enhanced, 

information is exchanged more readily, and learning among staff occurs more naturally. 

Another example of shared responsibility among agencies is the in-kind 

contributions of those agencies to the program. While many of the positions are funded 

through grants, partner agencies provide staffing at no cost. 

The DVERT Process and Operation 

The DVERT program focuses on three levels of domestic violence situations - 

Level I -- the most lethal situations where a victim may be in serious danger; Level II -- 

moderately lethal situations where the victim is not in immediate danger; and Level 111 -- 

lower lethality situations where patrol officers engage in problem s01ving.~ 

A domestic violence situation comes to the attention of DVERT through a variety 

of mechanisms. Most of the referrals come from the Center. Other referrals will emanate 

from DHS, the Humane Society, other law enforcement agencies, or city service 

agencies. Once a case has been referred, all relevant information concerning criminal 

and prosecution histories, advocate, restraining orders, and human services 

documentation is researched by appropriate DVERT member agencies. 

Referral decisions are made on a weekly basis. From May 1996 to December 

1999, a DVERT “staffing unit” met to discuss individual domestic violence situations. 

~~~~ ~ 

In October 2000, DVERT moved from a 3,400 square foot office to a 10,000 square foot building. This 

was made possible by the Department of Human Services, which provided the space to CSPD as part of its 

contribution. 

This categorization applies to DVERT cases from 1996 to 1999. In February 2000 DVERT made 

changes to its operation and no longer uses the Level I, 11, or 111 designations. Instead, cases are now 

referred to as Assessment, Ongoing, or POP. 

2 1st Century Solutions, Inc. 16 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
As mentioned above, a group of six to eight representatives from partner agencies would 

listen to a description of a domestic violence event or series of events relating to one 

couple. At the weekly staffing meeting an advocate, police officer, or caseworker for 

children would present the case. Documentation and evidence is presented, including 

criminal history, victim advocacy contacts, child protection contacts, humane society 

calls, calls for service, and other information. Discussion then occurs, followed by a vote 

of the panel to accept the case. To maintain adequate coverage of clients, Level I cases 

were limited to 125 at any given time.5 Those cases that did not meet the Level I 

standards were placed in Level I1 or III, or simply not recommended for acceptance for 

any level. 

For the most serious cases or Level I cases, several things happen next. First, the 

staffing unit makes recommendations regarding immediate interventions by the various 

DVERT member agencies. Second, the addresses and names of victims and perpetrators 

are added to the Department's computer-aided dispatch system. Third, clients may be 

added to the 'Wants and Warrants' computer system with an indicator identifying them 

with DVERT. Once the client is in DVERT, ongoing intervention tactics may also occur, 

including counseling, advocacy, shelter, support, and legal services. At least once a week, 

a DVERT victim advocate will attempt to contact the victim to provide support, 

information, and resources. In some cases, cellular phones may be assigned to victims 

requiring immediate access to law enforcement andor micro-cassette telephone recorders 

to document telephone harassment and violations of restraining orders. 

This was not always a rigid rule. If cases merited inclusion into DVERT Level 1, exceptions would be 

made to go beyond the 125 cases. 

21st Centuly Solutions, lnc. 17 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
From its inception in May 1996 to December 3 1,1999, DVERT accepted 42 1 

Level I cases and 54 1 Level II cases. Table 1 shows the case numbers by year for each 

level. In addition, a small number of cases moved from Level I1 to Level I because of an 

increase in seriousness of the case. 

Table 1. DVERT Case Numbers by Year 1996-1999. 

(Cases are analyzed by the year that they are accepted, not the year that they are deactivated.) 

1996 82 82 

1997 71 27 98 

1998 115 1 92 8 307 

Table 2. Active and Deactivated DVERT Level I Cases, by year. 

1996 6 a 76 

1997 6 65 

1998 12 103 

1 999 112 41 

Table 2 shows the number of cases that were deactivated or closed for each year 

as well as the status of active cases as of December 3 1, 1999. 

Tables 3 and 4 show the demographic characteristics of Level I offenders and 

victims for 1998 and 1999. Offenders were predominantly white males between the age 

of 3 1 and 40. Victims were predominantly white females between the age of 2 1 and 40. 

21st Centuty Solutions, Inc. 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Table 3. Level I Deactivated Cases Offender Demographics (N=285) 0 

Sex of Offenders 

1 997 65 0 0 

1998 101 1 1 

Race of Offenders 

Age of Offenders 

1997 0 3 12 34 12 2 2 

1998 0 3 36 33 24 3 4 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 19 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Table 4. Level I Deactivated Cases Victim Demographics ("=303*) 0 

Sex of Victims 

1 997 0 69 4 

1998 2 104 1 

1 999 1 40 0 

Race of Victims 

1997 40 4 10 3 16 

1998 62 12 11 6 16 

Age of Victims 

1996 0 5 31 30 12 3 1 

1997 0 5 21 28 12 0 7 

I 998 --- 1 12 ~ 36 37 17 3 1 

1999 0 4 14 14 8 0 1 

*Some offenders have more than one victim. 

Level 1 cases were brought to the attention of DVERT primarily through the 

Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Cases were referred for a number of 

reasons. Prior history of domestic violence by the perpetrator was indicated in 82 percent 

of the referrals (234 of 285). Physical abuse of the victim appeared in 78 percent of the 

referrals. 

Prior arrests for domestic violence were also important as an indicator of potential 

harm. Most referral sheets had indications that the offender had been arrested before. In 

e 74 percent (2 1 1 of 285) of the cases, a prior arrest had been recorded. Of the 197 cases 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 20 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
that indicated type of arrest, 176 were for domestic violence, nine were arrests for both 

domestic violence and child abuse and two were for child abuse only. In 10 cases, the 

prior arrest charges were for charges other than domestic violence and child abuse. 

Indications of when the incidents took place usually spanned one to three years, with 19 

cases indicating periods of five years or greater. The largest reported period of abuse was 

20 years. 

Direct threats of violence by the offender to the victim were a fairly common 

notation on the referral sheet. Seventy-six percent (21 8 cases) of the victims had received 

a threat of violence. The most typical threat (70 percent or 153 of 21 8) was that the 

offender would kill the victim. The second most common threat was that the offender 

would harm the victim (in 24 cases) and that the offender would harm himself or herself. 

In 12 cases where the offender threatened to kill the victim, the offender also stated that 

he or she would commit suicide. 

Original Reasons for Acceptance by DVERT 

DVERT accepted cases for a variety of reasons - in all we tabulated 19 possible 

reasons for accepting a referral! These reasons are consistent with the notion that the 

primary concern was the safety of the victim. DVERT staff was concerned about the 

potential for lethality of the victim. The most frequent reason for acceptance was threats 

to the victim (76 percent), followed by evidence of multiple domestic violence incidents 

(66 percent of the cases). Reasons such as injuries, prior arrests of the offender, and 

The options include: 1. multiple incidents of domestic violence; 2. injuries; 3. a prior offender arrest 

history; 4. children at risk; 5. general threats of violence; 6. specific threats to the victim; 7. threats to 

children; 8. threats to animals; 9. threats to others; 10. access to weapons; 1 1. evidence of stalking 

behaviors; 12. the lethality level was high; 13. a restraining order had been violated; 14. evidence of 

21st Century Solutions, inc. 21 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
physical abuse were indicated in over 70 percent of the cases. The least frequent reason 

for acceptance was elevation from Level I1 (2 percent of the cases) and recent losses in 

the victim’s life (4 percent). 

The total number of reasons for acceptance ranged from one to 13 reasons (of the 

17 possible categories). The average number of reasons was 3.97, or nearly four reasons 

for accepting a case. For 1996, the average number of reasons for acceptance was 5.28; in 

1997, the average number was 5.8; for 1998, the average was 2.87; and for 1999, the 

average number was 1.41 (it must be remembered that only 41 1999 cases have been 

deactivated at the time of the analysis). It is clear that in 1998 DVERT was selecting 

cases for more specific reasons than before. It appears that this change reflects the 

increased confidence of the staffing unit in selecting appropriate Level I cases. In other 

words, it appears that DVERT’s early selections (in 1996 and 1997) were based on 

multiple reasons because they may have been reluctant to reject cases for fear of making 

an error. As they grew more proficient and confident about defining potentially lethal 

case, decisions were made based on fewer, but more serious criteria. 

~ 

physical abuse; 15. evidence of sexual abuse; 16. offender had a prior criminal history; 17. recent losses to 

the victim; 18. case was being elevated from Level 11; and 19. other reasons 

2 I st Century Solutions, Inc. 22 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Prior Arrests 

Injuries 

Threats to Victim 

Threats of Violence 

Risk to Children 

We Present 

Sta ehavior 

Threats to Children 

Violation of Restraining Order 

Sexual Abuse 

Recent Loss 

Other Types of Threats other than to 

Victim, Children, Animal or General 

Threats of Violence 

Threats to Animal 

Lethality High 

Prior Criminal History 

Elevation from Level I1 

65.8 61.5 22.3 2.4 

61.8 60 11.7 0 

60.5 72.3 29.1 7.3 

55.3 69.2 24.3 7.3 

35.5 36.9 38.8 29.3 

36.8 40 12.6 29.3 

28.9 40 18.4 19.5 

27.6 24.6 24.3 4.9 

24.3 24.6 5.8 0 

18.6 12.3 7.8 4.9 

10 1.5 0 4.9 

11.8 . 24.6 1.9 0 

9.2 15.4 12.6 2.4 

6.6 20 31.1 7.3 

0 3 22.3 17.1 

0 4.6 2.9 0 

Examining the specific reasons by year, the pattern of reasons for acceptance 

differs in 1998 from the 1996 and 1997 cases.’ In 1996, the reason for acceptance that 

occurred most frequently was reported multiple domestic violence incidents, followed by 

prior arrests and injuries. For 1997, the reason for acceptance that occurred most 

frequently was threats to victim, followed by multiple domestic violence incidents and 

threats of violence. In 1998, the most frequent reason for acceptance was risk to children, 

followed by lethality level high and threats to the victim. This appears to represent a 

policy shift towards a greater concern for children. As stated above, as DVERT expertise 

grew, this understanding of the significance of specific criteria to seriousness of the 

situation has become more refined. 

’ Cases fiom 1999 were not included in the analysis because of low numbers compared to other years and a 

number of missing cases. 

2 1 st Century Solutions, lnc. 23 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Deactivated cases. Cases were closed or "deactivated" when DVERT staff 

believes that the client is safe from harm. From July 1, 1996 to December 31, 1999, 

DVERT closed 285 cases. Of those cases closed, 19 cases did not include reasons for 

deactivation. 

From Table 6 it appears that DVERT staff became more efficient in dealing with 

cases. For cases opened in 1996, the average time to closure was 558 days; for 1997,4 10 

days; for 1998, closure occurred within 240 days, a decrease of 57 percent since 1996. 

While not conclusive at this point, since only 27 of the 4 1 cases closed in 1999 had both 

acceptance and deactivation dates, the average number of days between acceptance and 

closure was 166 days. We believe that this decline is attributable to increased confidence 

in DVERT decision-making in handling cases. In the early days of DVERT staff were 

more cautious about accepting cases and deactivating cases. As time past and their 

comfort levels increased, their expertise and efficiency in knowing when to deactivate 

cases appropriately increased as well. 

Table 6. Deactivated Cases 

1997 62 410 30; 1,064 

1998 101 240 35; 569 

1999 27 166 60; 280 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 24 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Analysis of Reasons for Deactivation 

In each case file, DVERT provides the reason or reasons for case deactivation. 

Only two files were missing reasons for deactivation (N=209). For purposes of analysis, 

the 30-plus reasons for deactivation were compressed into 10 categories: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

Offender or victim physically separated (e.g., offender is incarcerated, victim 

and/or offender moved out of the area; victim in jail); 

Positive victim behavior (e.g., restraining order in effect, victim in a new 

relationship andor counseling, victim divorcingldivorced offender); 

Victim behavior is not conducive to DVERT program (e.g., victim cannot be 

reached, does not want any contact with DVERT, is unwilling or cooperative); 

Victim is no longer afraid of the offender; 

Positive offender behavior (e.g., no contact with victim, in treatment, completed 

domestic violence classes, served sentence and has not re-offended); 

Negative offender behavior (awaiting trial, rearrested, rearrested on non-domestic 

violence charges); 

DVERT involvement unnecessary (e.g., offender can be monitored by probation, 

the lethality level is low or is not a Level I case, third parties report no incidents, 

not in DVERT’s jurisdiction); 

Victim and offender behavior hard to quantify; 

Offender behavior has changed (e.g., remarrying, in new relationship); and 

10. Victim or offender is deceased. 

Up to three different categories could be captured in the analysis. Physical 

separation of the victim and perpetrator and death of one of the parties were the most 

straightforward reasons for deactivation. 

2 1 st Century Solutions, Inc. 25 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Main Reason for Deactivation of Cases 

Fifty-one percent of the cases (1 44 of 285) were deactivated mainly due to 

physical separation of the victim and offender. In five (2 percent) of the cases, either the 

victim or the offender was deceased. Of the physical separation cases, 33 percent were 

due to the victim and/or offender moving out of the area. Twenty percent (58 of 285) of 

the cases were deactivated because the offender was incarcerated (there was only one 

report of the victim being in jail). 

In 60 cases (21 percent), the main reason for deactivation had to do with an 

offender exhibitingpositive behavior. This is an important finding for it demonstrates a 

peaceful resolution to the domestic violence problem. No contact with the victim 

without any other positive behavior was indicated in 51 of the 60 cases. In seven cases, 

other positive behavior such as serving time and no reported re-offending was cited along 

with no contact. For the seven cases where the offender was still in contact with the 

offender, the offender was either in treatment, had completed a domestic violence 

program, or had served time and has had no reported incidents. 

For 12 cases (6 percent), the main reason for deactivation was the victim did not 

want to partner with DVERT. The victim could not be reached, wanted no contact with 

DVERT, or indicated that she was unwilling or would not cooperate With DVERT. 

Intervention. DVERT advocates and police maintain close contact with clients. 

In 1999, advocates made 1,549 successful contacts with 263 Level I clients. A team (an 

advocate and officer) made an additional 355 contacts. Other professionals affiliated 

with DVERT made 1,03 1 contacts. This is an average of 1 1.2 contacts per client over a 

one-year period. This equates to about 1 contact every five weeks for each client. Most 

2lst Century Solutions, Inc. 26 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
case files are filled with notes and descriptions of contacts attempted and made by 

DVERT advocates. In our interviews with 19 victims, they reported a range of contacts 

from 1 contact per month to nearly 300 contacts over 12 months. This disparity can be 

explained by the nature of the relationship between the victim and DVERT. A number of 

victims initiated contact with their advocates, while others remained passive and waited 

to hear from their advocates. Others did not return phone calls made by advocates or 

police oflicers and were difficult to find. 

Some cases received more attention than others because of their complexities. As 

part of its routine, DVERT staff would conduct “Internal Case Management” meetings 

about twice a month, where complicated cases would be discussed, assignments 

delegated to staff, and action taken. For example in a case with a household of children, 

imminent threats by a perpetrator, and a victim who was reluctant to participate in 

DVERT, discussions would be held to determine what to do next. These case 

management meetings could lead to a caseworker fiom the Department of Human 

Services making a visit, a law enforcement officer acting on a Violation of a Restraining 

Order, and an advocate meeting with the victim. 

Role of advocates. Advocates assisted victims in a number of ways. They 

referred clients and their children to group or individual counseling at the Center. They 

assisted them with day-to-day basic needs - finding housing, hooking up a telephone, 

calling the utility companies, getting welfare assistance, etc. They could provide cellular 

phones to victims who were being stalked so they could call 91 1 immediately. They 

were good “listeners” and counselors to victims who were facing the criminal justice 

2lst Century Solutions, Inc. 27 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
system for the first time. They joined the victim in court to provide moral support and 

perhaps to testify against the batterer. 

Criminal justice system. Other interventions could occur through the 

enforcement of restraining orders or arrests for a variety of crimes, including assault, 

kidnapping, attempted murder, sexual assault, menacing, or stalking. In 1999, DVERT 

police officers made 47 felony arrests and 85 misdemeanor arrests. The District Attorney 

filed over 50 cases in 1999 resulting in five jury trials, 14 guilty verdicts (or plea 

bargains), and 7 not guilty counts. A number of cases are still pending. 

Level I1 Cases 

When DVERT began in 1996, Level TI cases were those situations where they did 

not warrant the same close scrutiny of Level I cases, but deemed serious enough to make 

contact by DVERT. Most of the cases were handled through phone calls to victims 

referred to DVERT. In 1997, DVERT developed the Level I1 referral form. This form 

compiled the information fiom calls to victims, along with any information gathered by 

participating DVERT agencies. Additionally, a short description of court information 

would be compiled. Once the victim had been called and all agencies had reported what 

they knew about the case, the DVERT staff would go through the referrals. Usually, the 

staff would review between five and eight cases a week. The cases that were not accepted 

were not documented. 

While the actual process has not changed, the documentation and the level of 

detail on referral forms has increased over time, especially when the Level I1 staff detects 

that a Level I1 case may need to be moved up to Level I status. Since September 1999, 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 28 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
internal case reviews have been occurring for Level I1 cases. In early 2000, the number 

of cases became too much for Level 11 staff to deal with-the number of Level 11 referrals 

became 25 per week, so changes were made in the process. 

From 1997 to 1999 there have been 541 Level I1 cases. In 1997, there were 26 

cases; in 1998, 193 cases; and in 1999,322 cases. Because data were more complete for 

1998 and 1999 we analyze those cases only. Thus, the following analysis is based on a 

total of 5 15 cases. 

Tables 7 and 8 show the demographic characteristics of offenders and victims for 

Level I1 cases in 1998 and 1999. As with Level I, most of the offenders were white 

males between the age of 21 and 50. For the victims, most were white females between 

the age of 16 and 50. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 29 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Table 7. Level I1 Offender Characteristics (N=506) e Sex of Offenders 

Race of Offenders 

Age of Offenders 

1998 1 14 63 68 27 6 1 13 

1999 0 14 108 93 44 10 1 43 

Table 8. Level I1 Victim Characteristics (N=506) 

Sex of Victims 

1 999 14 287 12 

Race of Victims 

Age of Victims 

1998 0 20 61 61 22 3 2 24 

1999 1 36 79 1 05 29 4 3 56 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 30 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Reasons for Referral to DVERT Level I1 

This part of the analysis is based on 290 of 5 15 cases. Forty-four percent or 225 

cases were missing information about the referral. Because of missing information, the 

results presented below may not be representative of all Level I1 cases or significant 

compared to other DVERT cases. They provide the reader with a snapshot of what is 

occurring in Level I1 cases. 

Of the cases with referral information, 67 percent (195) indicated a prior history 

of domestic violence incidents. However, unlike Level I cases, the documented Level I1 

cases were more likely to involve emotiond instead ofphysicd abuse. Fifty-six percent 

(1 10) involved emotional abuse and 44 percent involved physical abuse, of which 18 

percent involved sexual abuse and 12 percent involved child abuse. 

For 78 cases (or 27 percent), at least one domestic violence incident was recorded 

on the referral sheet; however, the exact number of incidents was not noted in many 

cases. The number of incidents ranged from one to 23, with one incident being reported 

the most often (in 25 cases). 

Most referral sheets had indications that the offender had been arrested before. In 

63 percent (1 83) of the cases, a prior arrest had been recorded. Of the prior arrests, 149 

of them were for domestic violence or for domestic violence combined with additional 

charges unrelated to domestic violence or child abuse. For eleven cases, the arrests were 

for both domestic and child abuse and three were for child abuse only. 

Direct threats of violence by the offender to the victim were noted routinely on 

the referral sheets, although not as common as seen with Level I cases. Forty-four 

percent (124 cases) of the victims had received a threat of violence. However, the level 

21st Centuly Solutions, Inc. 31 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
of threat for Level I1 cases where information was documented followed the Level I 

pattern. That is, the most typical threat was that the offender would kill the victim -- this 

appears in 55 cases. The second most common threat was that the offender would harm 

the victim (in 30 cases) and the third most common threat was that the offender would 

harm himself or herself (in 20 cases). 

Original Reasons for Level I1 Acceptance by DVERT 

Two hundred thirty-two of the 5 15 cases (or 45 percent) have documentation that 

give an explanation for acceptance of the case into Level II. In 1998, there are 65 cases 

and in 1999, 167 cases. For this reason, the results presented below cannot be viewed as 

representative of all Level I1 cases or significant compared to other DVERT cases. 

Of the 183 cases with prior arrests, there were 121 cases that experienced injuries, 

with 102 cases with cuts, bruises or abrasions. Sixty-nine cases documented more serious 

injuries such as concussions, broken bones and sexual assault. 

There were at least 92 incidents with substance abuse issues with the offender or 

the offender and victim. 

With regard to seriousness of the issue, there were 24 cases that needed medical 

attention, of which at least nine were treated in hospitals or emergency rooms and two 

were treated in unspecified locations. 

When examining the issue of access to weapons, in at least 67 of the 232 cases, 

perpetrators have access to weapons, with 35 cases having access specifically to guns. 

Of other behaviors that would indicate a domestic violence behavior, 59 cases 

indicated harassment, 50 cases involved stalking, 49 indicated telephone threats, 4 1 said 

that the offender was following the victim, 35 documented threats against the victim, 8 

2ist Century Solutions, Inc. 32 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
indicated that the offender was peeping or driving by, there were 7 trespassing and 7 

kidnappinghlawfbl imprisonment incidents and 4 unexpected appearances by the 

offender. 

Reasons for Closure of Level I1 Cases 

For 81 percent of the cases, there are conclusion forms that explain the reason for 

closing out the Level I1 case. Unfortunately, only 65 percent of the 1998 cases had 

conclusion forms while 90 percent of 1999 cases had forms. This may mean that the 

results presented below are more representative of 1999 cases than 1998 cases. 

For 68 percent of the 1998 and 1999 cases that had conclusion forms, an advocate 

and officer made contact with a victim. For nearly 20 percent of the victims contacted (52 

cases), the conclusion forms indicated that cases were referred to Level I. However, for 

25 percent of these cases that were referred to Level I, it w& difficult to verify whether 

referral actually occurred. 

In the remaining 32 percent of cases (1 24) with conclusion forms DVERT staff 

gave reasons for not making contact with victims. For 104 cases, the victim could not be 

located at all. In 20 cases DVERT could document that the victim had moved and could 

not be found. In six of these cases DVERT had received information that the victim was 

now living outside DVERT’s jurisdiction. 

For those cases with conclusion forms, there were only five cases in which 

contact was made but the victim refused to talk with anyone from DVERT. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 33 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Level 111 or the POP Process in DVERT 

Problem oriented policing (POP) is a major strategy for the CSPD. This concept, 

first formulated in 1979 by Herman Goldstein, has been emphasized by Chief Kramer for 

the past decade. POP involves four basic steps: Scanning, Analysis, Response, and 

Assessment. Scanning means identifLing a specific problem that has occurred numerous 

times. Analysis involves extensive examination of the problem - who was the offender, 

victim, and stakeholders affected by the problem? Where is the problem located? When 

is it occurring? These are among many questions asked at this stage. Response is the 

phase where police and others take action. The Assessment phase takes a close look at 

the effectiveness of the problem solving strategy. 

For the problem of domestic violence, the scanning phase of the POP process 

begins at DVERT. A staff member checks all relevant police department contact sheets 

to see if there have been three calls for service at a location during the last 12-month 

period. The DVERT staff member will pull the location history and calls for service for 

the identified location. The DVERT staff member also checks to see if the offender or 

victim in is in the DVERT database, the DVERT POP database, or has been in the 

District Attorney’s Fasttrack program. DVERT will provide victim packets back to the 

police department as POP projects. 

At the CSPD division stations, lieutenants are informed about DVERT Level 111 

POP projects. They in turn, make sergeants responsible for assigning the projects to 

officers for follow-up analysis, response and assessment. Patrol officers are responsible 

for contacting the victim at the identified location and delivering the victim packet. If the 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 34 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
victim no longer lives at the identified address, it is the responsibility of the officer to 

make all reasonable attempts to locate the victim within a 30-day period. 

After either contacting the victim, or attempting to contact the victim, the officer 

will complete an “Officer Contact Sheet” with all pertinent information, which will be 

returned to their sergeant. The sergeant will pass the information on to the lieutenant. 

After review, the lieutenant will return the information to DVERT. At the present time, it 

does not appear that officers systematically treat Level I11 cases as POP projects. Some 

officers do engage in analysis, response and assessment for some of the problem 

addresses, but the model is not consistently followed. 

Data from DVERT indicate that in 1999,29 1 problem addresses were identified 

in the Colorado Springs area. Of these, 181 fell within the jurisdiction of CSPD. The 

rest were in the cities of Fountain, Manitou Springs, and Palmer Lake and in El Paso 

County. In the first quarter of 2000, 110 problem addresses were identified with 68 in 

CSPD’s jurisdiction. 

DVERT and Community Policing 

DVERT epitomizes community policing in Colorado Springs in a number of 

ways. First, DVERT has formed strong partnerships with over 25 community-based 

organizations, city and county service agencies, and other law enforcement departments. 

The partnerships are based on memoranda of understanding that lay out specific roles for 

each agency. Each organization participates in domestic violence reduction efforts. 

Advocates from the Center, guardians ad litem from the court, probation officers, 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 35 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
caseworkers for children, animal control officers from the Humane Society, deputy 

district attorneys, patrol officers, and local physicians work together to assist victims. 

Second, DVERT has brought about organizational changes within the police 

department and its partners. Within CSPD, knowledge about domestic violence has 

increased through training and active participation by patrol officers. For the last four 

years, officers have rotated through DVERT for 100 days to learn about domestic 

violence and assist in responding to calls after hours. Further, officers work directly with 

the partner agencies and thus learn about the roles of advocates, children's caseworkers, 

and other members of DVERT. Similarly, non-police members of DVERT learn from 

each other and about law enforcement. Thus, the victim is aided and organizational 

bonds are forged. 

All of this would not be possible without the support of Chief Kramer. The 

chiefs open management style encourages officers to think, solve problems, and handle 

situations without fear of failure or recriminations for failing. By delegating authority to 

all commanders, supervisors, officers, and civilians, he is able to develop leaders and run 

an efficient, highly motivated, results-oriented agency. This attitude extends to DVERT. 

Detective Black is able to supervise a unit of non-CSPD staff and make decisions about 

important domestic violence cases with confidence and support from the chief. In 

addition, without the chiefs influence, DVERT's partnerships would not be as 

formidable. 

Third, DVERT specifically follows the POP model for Level 111 cases. As 

discussed above, problem solving begins at DVERT for addresses with three or more 

2 1st Century Solutions, Inc. 36 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
calls for service over a one-year period. This component could be strengthened through 

more active participation by officers at the district stations. 

Overall, DVERT and community policing principles are intertwined. Slowly, 

subtly, and without much fanfare DVERT is becoming institutionalized not only within 

the police department, but also within the city of Colorado Springs. 

Perceptions and Attitudes of DVERT Staff 

To assist us in understanding the implementation and impact of DVERT, we 

interviewed a number of current and former DVERT staff. This section describes the 

results of those interviews. 

Impact of DVERT 

Interviewees described several major accomplishments of their affiliated agencies 

as a result of DVERT. Respondents from victim services focused on three major 

categories: services for victims, inter-agency relationships, and organizational 

accomplishments. Law-enforcement personnel emphasized increased awareness, 

education, and training; networking; and systems communication among major 

accomplishments. Interviewees from DHS indicated that the linkage between domestic 

violence and child welfare is a major accomplishment, as are organizational changes 

associated with DVERT. Those affiliated with the District Attorney’s office identified 

tougher plea-bargaining, education, effective prosecution, and resource availability. 

Services to women. The vast majority of persons interviewed believe that 

services to women have improved as a result of DVERT. They cite improvement 

through agency collaboration, training, the women themselves, and new programs and 

2Ist Century Solutions, Inc. 37 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
initiatives. Of these categories, interviewees focused on the women themselves more 

than any other area. They described cell phones, safe housing, and counseling as some of 

the ways in which services have improved. Challenges to serving victims include 

feelings of being overwhelmed by the task at hand or personnel issues, such as low pay 

for victims' advocates. 

Barriers to improving services were identified by about one-third of interviewees. 

They include housing needs, limited resources, and potential for the process to revictimize some women. 

Changes in law enforcement. Most respondents felt that practices in law 

enforcement have changed as a result of DVERT. Categories of change encompass 

education and training, organizational changes, inter-agency relationships, direct services 

and resources. One major change is Fast Track, a new program designed by the district 

attorney that expedites domestic violence cases that come to the attention of the criminal 

justice system. 

The value of law enforcement rotations at DVERT has a ripple effect on changing 

law enforcement. Not only do rotations dramatically change the perspective and 

knowledge of officers directly involved in a rotation, but also the experiences of rotating 

officers filter back to home departments when rotations have ended. Other examples of 

changes in law enforcement include better understanding and enforcement of the law 

with mandatory arrest (along with relevant issues, such as stalking, dual arrests, and 

primary aggressors), needs in rural areas, and sensitivity to the subject of domestic 

violence. 

2 1 st Century Solutions, Inc. 38 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
A few interviewees described challenges to change within law enforcement with 

focused on the slowness of institutional change compared to individual change. 

Violence Reduction. The most prominent message conveyed by DVERT staff is 

that violence is reduced for women when they become a part of the DVERT caseload and 

are being served and supported by DVERT staff. Further, when perpetrators are in the 

DVERT caseload, and are being monitored by DVERT staff, recidivism for those 

perpetrators - as one means of measuring reduction of violence - is lowered or nonexistent. 

Interviewees also said that violence has been reduced for children as a result of 

DVERT. In particular, children are safer when their mothers are actively involved within 

DVERT's caseload due to a number of variables, such as increased vigilance of those 

children, and programs and resources for those children. 

Respondents are realistic in identifying challenges to reducing violence. Almost 

half of them suggest that some educational pieces are missing (school programming for 

adolescents, for example); DVERT's limitations on impact reduction; the nature of the 

community with its transient population and value system poses challenges; and that 

there are questions about identifjhg persons appropriate for intervention. 

On Collaboration 

Role differentiation. Interviewees described three levels of collaborations 

among partners: 1) those among core partner-agency staff housed at DVERT; 2) those 

among staff of partner agencies who are split in their physical location (at DVERT and 

partner agency offices); and 3) those among partner agencies at large. Across the board, 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 39 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
the majority of interviewees feel strongly that role differentiation is generally clear. At 

the same time, the majority also believes that there are conflicts associated with role 

differentiation. Conflicts stem from a variety of sources, which include intermittent 

misunderstanding about differentiating roles; sharing common goals with different 

agency policies to achieve those goals; lack of knowledge about partner agencies' 

policies/regulations and constraints; and conflicts over information sharing. 

Conflict. The majority of interviewees believe that there are also conflicts 

outside of role differentiation. However, many respondents emphasize the positive 

aspects of conflict as well. One person interjected that conflict "speaks for the process" 

of inter-agency collaboration; another suggested that conflict translates into "healthy 

debates". Areas of conflict extend to turf and jurisdiction; definitional issues; decisionmaking; power/control within DVERT, establishment of in-house disciplinary policies; 

and some levels of distrust. 

Suggestions for Improving DVERT 

Four categories for improving DVERT emerged from the interviews: policies and 

decision making; services for victims; resources and manpower training; and physical 

environment. They proposed over 50 suggestions. 

Policies and decision-making. Almost 40% of all suggestions fell within this 

category. Interviewees proposed improvements in management and leadership, gave 

suggestions for current and future directions, voiced opinions about organizational, dayto-day issues, and addressed personnel matters. With regard to management, proposals 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 40 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
vary from less "micro-management" and fewer supervisors to more "free-flow interaction 

among staff at the lower street level, where people are most knowledgeable." 

More far-reaching ideas range from extending policy making beyond core 

membership and ways to perpetuate the ideas of DVERT to limiting DVERT cases to 

Level I's only. Organizationally, interviewees express desire for meetings which function 

more as brainstorming or input sessions rather than as status-report forums. 

Services for victims. About 25% of the suggestions are directly linked to victim 

services. These vary from improving response time, linking services to welfare benefits, 

developing ways for victims to become more empowered and self-sufficient, establishing 

more follow-up and long-term care after emergencies, and developing more programs for 

children. 

Resources and manpower. Another 25% of recommendations call for more 

resources and staff generally, equalizing financial commitments among partners, and 

obtaining support from city and county governments. 

Training. Ten percent of all suggestions focus on continuing on-going training, 

expanding training nationally, and developing more specialized and advanced training 

where appropriate. 

Physical environment. A few other suggestions propose more physical space 

generally and more private space in particular--especially related to phone use. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 41 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Victim Interviews 

e In April 2000 we conducted interviews with 19 DVERT clients.* We asked a 

number of questions about their experiences with DVERT, law enforcement, victim 

service agencies, and the criminal justice process as well as specific questions about their 

particular situations. 

Eighteen women and one man were interviewed by staff of 2 1 St Century 

Solutions. On average, these clients spent over one year in the DVERT program. Six 

clients were still part of DVERT; 13 had been “deactivated.” During their time in 

DVERT, clients reported that they were in contact with an advocate or law enforcement 

officer on a regular basis. For five individuals this meant contact twice a week. For five 

other individuals it meant weekly contact. Only two clients said that contact was “not 

often.” We also asked victims about the number of contacts they actually had with 

DVERT. One individual who was in the program for about a year said that he/she had 

almost 300 contacts with an advocate. This number was an exception as 

the average for the rest of the respondents was about 36 contacts per client with an 

advocate. 

a 

Most respondents had a very high regard for DVERT and its staff. Seventeen of 

19 clients strongly agreed or agreed that a DVERT advocate was available to the victim 

whenever she was needed. The same number strongly agreed or agreed that DVERT 

staff provided support to the victim. Fourteen strongly agreed or agreed that DVERT 

These individuals were selected by DVERT staff membeis based on availability. It is not representative 

sample of all clients, but the information provides us with insights about their views of DVERT and 

domestic violence. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 42 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
police oflicers understood their problems and concerns. Sixteen respondents strongly 

agreed or agreed that the DVERT program “made me feel safe.” 

We asked open-ended questions at the conclusion of the interview. When asked 

to “tell us about your experiences in DVERT” more than half (1 0) had high praise for 

DVERT. One victim said that DVERT “saved my life.’’ Another said that: “DVERT is 

a great program.. .without the advocate, I would not have gotten a restraining order . . . 

having an advocate in court was very valuable . . . otherwise wouldn’t have followed 

though on charges . . . I would probably be 6 feet under right now.. .” Finally, one 

respondent said, “I really thank God for DVERT, they pulled me through.. .I’m much 

more stable now.. . DVERT helped me get help for my alcoholism and I have not drunk 

for a year.” 

Victims also were asked a series of questions about domestic violence as it 

affected them. Fifteen victims did not stay with their partner when they were in the 

DVERT program. Thirteen said that there were times when they wanted to call the police 

because you were afraid of possible violence. Of these, nine victims said they called the 

police; the other four said they wanted to but did not. For the nine who called the police, 

three victims called the police on three separate occasions, three others called the police 

four times, two said they called five times, and one called the police about 20 times. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc, 43 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Section 4: Concluding Remarks 

DVERT constantly evolves. Over the 18-month period that we observed 

DVERT, changes occurred regularly in its processes, decision-making, and personnel. 

This is due in part, to the "newness" of the unit. More importantly, however, changes 

occur because of the belief in fixing and improving systems if they could serve 

clientshictims better. 

In February 2000, DVERT made major changes in the way that it classifies cases. 

Levels I through I11 were replaced with new terminology and a new process. 

The "Intake Team" is now responsible for reviewing all cases referred to DVERT. This 

team, comprised of detectives, victim advocates and child protection workers must make 

contact with the victim and children on every referral. Extensive background information 

continues to be gathered including criminal history, victim advocacy contacts, child 

protection contacts, and other information. The Intake Team has two weeks from the 

date of the case assignment to make contact with the victim and to provide herhim with 

resource information and information about domestic violence and safety planning. The 

victim may also talk to a detective about previous domestic violence incidents. Also, a 

child protection worker assesses the welfare of children in the home, particularly for 

those children over the age of 5. After the Intake Team completes its initial visit to see 

the victim and children, the team members will either make a recommendation, in 

conjunction with DVERT management for hrther intervention or may choose to close 

the case with no further follow-up. If the Intake Team believes that the family could 

benefit from additional intervention, team members may refer the case to the DVERT 

Enhanced Intervention Team made up of an Assessment Team and an Ongoing Team. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 44 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
The DVERT Assessment Team looks at cases that are brought in as a result of 

“call outs” on non-DVERT cases. That is, when the police respond to a call for service 

and need the assistance of DVERT, the Assessment team is available for consultation and 

on-site response. The Assessment Team provides short-term interventions in complex 

cases. The team works on 25-30 cases at any given time. Interventions are tailored to the 

needs of each family and may include advocacy support for the victim, containment of 

the offender through arrest, or assistance for children. They may also develop stalking 

cases and could facilitate the relocation of victims who are in very dangerous situations. 

Most interventions by the Assessment Team should be completed within two to eight 

weeks. This team also makes recommendations for Mher involvement by DVERT or 

may choose to close the case. 

The DVERT Ongoing Team handles the most dangerous cases, much like those in 

Level I. The multi-disciplinary DVERT staffing unit must vote to bring cases to the 

Ongoing Team. As with Level I, the number of cases is capped -- but this time at 75, 

rather than 125. 

Once a case is assigned to the Ongoing Team, it is monitored closely. An 

advocate is assigned to contact the victim on a regular basis to provide support and 

information. Court support may also be provided. Just as in Level I, multi-disciplinary 

case management occurs here. Child protection workers, the humane society, police 

detectives, counselors, and others are involved in the case. 

DVERT continues to target addresses with multiple calls for service for domestic 

violence. These fall within the problem-oriented policing or POP module of DVERT. In 

2000 CSPD officers delivered 350 packets to victims of domestic violence. According to 

2 Ist Centuty Solutions. Inc. 45 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
statistics compiled by DVERT staff, patrol officers logged 57 hours of time in contacting 

about 70 percent of the victims. POP packets were mailed to those victims who could not 

be contacted personally. 

With these changes, DVERT hopes to handle more cases than before and still 

manage the most lethal situations. The emphasis remains on the safety of the victim. 

Additional grant funds have led to other changes. In FY 2000, the COPS Office 

provided monies for innovative, multimedia training to all professionals interested in 

reducing domestic violence. A training curriculum is being developed that includes 

scenario-based exercises, adult learning techniques, and interactive CD-ROMs. Travel 

c 

finds are available for DVERT team members to assist other cities and agencies in 

developing multi-disciplinary responses to domestic violence. Finally, DVERT has been 

named a National Demonstration Site by VAWA and a National Training Test Site by the 

COPS Ofice. These changes will bring more attention to DVERT and assist other 

agencies as well. 

21st Century Solutions, Inc. 46 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Section 5: Key Findings of the Evaluation 

Overall, this evaluation identified 16 significant findings that should be beneficial 

to practitioners and others interested in reducing domestic violence. In summary, these 

findings are: 

The Philosophy and Characteristics of DWRT 

1. DVERT focuses on the safety of vicfims as its primary concern. This principle guides 

the multi-disciplinary team in dealing with the criminal justice and social service 

systems. By placing the safety of victims at the forefront, and by asking themselves 

“how does this action affect the victim?” members of DVERT staff are confident in 

their abilities to deal with difficult situations. 

2. DVERT does not follow the traditional model of domestic violence special units in 

police departments. It is a multi-disciplinary response to the problem of domestic 

violence incorporating criminal justice and social service agencies. 

3. DVERT takes a more balanced approach to the problems of domestic violence as it 

spreads responsibility for the problem to a number of agencies, not just the police. 

DWRT Activities and Results 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

DVERT has handled nearly 1000 of the most serious domestic violence cases (Level I 

and 11) in the Colorado Springs area over the last four years. 

Characteristics of offenders/perpetrators in the DVERT caseload were predominantly 

white males between the ages of 3 1 and 40. 

Victims in the DVERT caseload were predominantly white females between the ages 

of 21 and 40. 

Level I cases were brought to the attention of DVERT primarily through the Center 

for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and not through the “normal” channels of 

arrests or calls for services. 

For cases opened in 1996 the average time to closure was 530 days; for cases opened 

in 1998 closures occurred within 21 0 days, a decrease of 60%. 

“Risk to children” was the most frequent reason for acceptance into the DVERT 

caseload in 1998, representing a philosophical shift towards greater concern for 

children. 

2lst Century Solutions, Inc. 47 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
10. As DVERT expertise has grown, staff has refined the criteria used for accepting 

cases. 

Impact of DWRT on victims 

1 1. Victims have more resources through DVERT. Safe housing, counseling, and 

explanations of the criminal justice process are among the resources available to 

victims. 

12. Of 19 victims who were interviewed, two said that DVERT had saved their lives. 

Others said that DVERT changed their lives for the better. 

13. For women and children actively involved in the DVERT program, it appears that 

violence has been reduced. 

14. Law enforcement practices have changed as a result of DVERT. Police officers are 

more aware of domestic violence issues in Colorado Springs; they receive more 

training in domestic violence (on stalking, dual arrests, and primary aggressor); and 

they have engaged in more problem solving than in the past. 

Impact on Services 

15. Services to victims have improved as a result of DVERT. Because of the 

collaboration among police and social service agencies, the most serious domestic 

violence cases are now being addressed. Advocates, police, caseworkers for children, 

the district attorney, and other agencies work together to ensure the safety of victims. 

16. Overall, through this program CSPD has expanded its domestic violence operation 

functional multi-disciplinary organization. It has saved lives, reduced violence, 

improved communication among city and county agencies and service providers, and 

improved the quality of life in Colorado Springs. 

. with one detective and rotating patrol officers paid through overtime to a fully 

2lst Century Solutions, Inc. 48 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
References 

Berk, Richard A., Gordon K. Smyth, and Lawrence W. Sherman (1 988). “When Random 

Assignment Fails: Some Lessons From the Minneapolis Spouse Abuse Experiment,” 

Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 4:209-223. 

Berk, Richard A., Howard Black, James Lilly, and Giannina Rikoski (1991). Colorado 

Springs Spouse Assault Replication Project. Washington, DC: National Institute of 

Justice. 

Berk, Richard A., Alec Campbell, Ruth Klap, and Bruce Western (1 992). “A Bayesian 

Analysis of the Colorado Springs Spouse Abuse Experiment,” Journal of Criminal Law 

and Criminology, 83: 170-200. 

Braga, Anthony A, David L. Weisburd, Elin J. Waring, Lorraine Green Mazerolle, 

William Spelman, and Francis Gajewski (1 999). Problem-Oriented Policing in Violent 

Crime Places: A Randomized Controlled Experiment,” Criminology, Vol. 37, No. 3, 

August. 

Brito, Corina Sole and Tracy Allan, eds. (1 999). Problem Oriented Policing: Crime 

Specific Problems, Critical Issues, and Making POP Work, Vol. 2. Washington, DC: 

Police Executive Research Forum. 

Clarke, Ronald V., ed.( 1994). Crime Prevention Studies, Vol. 3. Monsey, NY: Criminal 

Justice Press. 

a 

Cohen, Jacob (1 988). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Hillsdale, 

NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. 

Cook, Thomas D. and Donald T. Campbell (1 979). Quasi-Experimentation: Design and 

Analysis Issues for Field Settings. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co. 

Davis, Robert C. and Bruce G. Taylor (1 997). “A Proactive Response to Family 

Violence: The Results of a Randomized Experiment,” Criminology, 35: 307-333. 

Dunford, Franklyn W., David Huizinga, and Delbert S. Elliott (1989). The Omaha 

Domestic Violence Experiment. Final Report to the National Institute of Justice and the 

City of Omaha. Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, Boulder. 

(1 990). “The Role of Arrest in Domestic Assault: 

The Omaha Police Experiment,” Criminology 28: 183-206. 

Dunford, Franklyn W. (1 992). The Measurement of Recidivism in Cases of Spouse 

Assault,” Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 83: 120-136. 

21”‘ Century Solutions, he. 49 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Friedman, Lucy N. and Minna Schulman (1 990). “Domestic Violence: The Criminal 

Justice Response”. In Arthur Lurigio, Wesley G. Skogan, and Robert C. Davis (eds.), e 

Victims of Crime: Problems, Policies, and Programs. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage. 

Gamache, Denise J., Jeffrey L. Edelson, and Michael Schock (1 988). “Coordinated 

Police, Judicial, and Social Response to Woman Battering: A Multi-Baseline Evaluation 

Across Communities.” In Gerald T. Hotaling, David Finkelhor, John T. Kirkpatrick, and 

Murray A. Straus (eds.), Coping with Family Violence: Research and Policy 

Perspectives. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. 

Gamer, Joel, Jeffrey Fagan, and Christopher Maxwell (1 995). “Published Findings fiom 

the Spouse Abuse Replication Project: A Critical Review,” Journal of Quantitative 

Criminology, 1 1 :3-28. 

Hirschel, J. David, Ira W. Hutchison, and Charles Dean (1992a). “The Failure of Arrest 

to Deter Spouse Abuse,” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 29:7-33. 

Hirschel, J. David, Ira W. Hutchison, Charles Dean, and Anne-Marie Mills (1992b). 

“Review Essay on the Law Enforcement Response to Spouse Abuse: Past, Present, and 

Future”, Justice Quarterly 9:247-283. 

Hutchinson, Ira W. (1 999). influence of Alcohol and Drugs on Women ’s Utilization of 

the Police for Domestic Violence. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice. 

Jolin, Annette, William Feyerhenn, Robert Fountain, Sharon Friedman (1 998). Beyond 

Arrest: The Portland, Oregon Domestic Violence Experiment, Final Report. Washington 

DC: National Institute of Justice. 

a 

Mazerolle, Lorraine G., Justin Ready, William Terrill, and Elin Waring (2000). 

“Problem-Oriented Policing in Public Housing: The Jersey City Evaluation,” Justice 

Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1, March. 

National Research Council (1 993). Understanding and Preventing Violence. Reiss, 

Albert J. and Jeffrey A. Roth (eds.). Panel on the Understanding and Control of 

Violence. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 

(1 998). Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and 

Treatment Programs. Chalk, Rosemary and Patricia A. King (eds.). Committee on the 

Assessment of Family Violence Interventions Board of Children, Youth, and Families. 

Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 

Nicholl, Caroline G. (2000). Community Policing, Community Justice, and Restorative 

Justice. Washington, DC: Ofice of Community Oriented Policing Services. 

21”’ Century Solutions, Inc. 50 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Sampson, Rana and Michael S. Scott (2000). Tackling Crime and Other Public Safety 

Problems: Case Studies in Problem-Solving. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of e 

Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 

Shelley, Tara O’Connor and Anne C. Grant, eds. (1 998). Problem Oriented Policing: 

Crime SpeciJic Problems, Critical Issues, and Making POP Work, Vol. 2. Washington, 

DC: Police Executive Research Forum. 

Sherman, Lawrence W. (1 992a). “The Influence of Criminology on Criminal Law: 

Evaluating Arrests for Misdemeanor Domestic Violence,” Journal of Criminal Law and 

Criminology 83: 1-45. 

(1 992b). Policing Domestic Violence: Experiments and 

Dilemmas. New York: Free Press. 

Sherman, Lawrence W., Janell D. Schmidt, Dennis P. Rogan, Douglas A. Smith, Patrick 

R. Gartin, Dean J. Collins, Anthony R. Bacich, Ellen G. Cohn, and 36 officers of the 

Milwaukee Police Department (1 991), The MiZwaukee Domestic Violence Experiment, 

Final Report to the National Institute of Justice. Washington, DC: National Institute of 

Justice. 

Sherman, Lawrence W., Janell D. Schmidt, Dennis P. Rogan, Patrick R. Gartin, Ellen G. 

Cohn, Dean J. Collins, and Anthony R. Bacich (1 991). “From Initial Deterrence to LongTerm Escalation: Short-Custody Arrest for Poverty Ghetto Domestic Violence,” 0 Criminology, 29:82 1-850. 

Sherman, Lawrence W. and Richard A. Berk (1 984a). The Minneapolis Domestic 

Violence Experiment. Washington, DC: The Police Foundation. 

Sherman, Lawrence W. and Richard A. Berk (1984b). “The Specific Deterrent Effects of 

Arrest for Domestic Assault,” American Sociological Review 49:26 1-271. 

Uchida, Craig D., Shellie E. Solomon, Edward Maguire, and Kimberly Hassell (2001). 

“Evaluating the Colorado Springs Community Policing Demonstration Center: A Report 

on the Patrol Officer Survey,” unpublished paper, 2 1 ’* Century Solutions, Inc. 

University of Maryland, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (1997). 

Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn It, What s Promising. Washington, DC: 

Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. 

Weisburd, David. (1 997). Statistics in Criminal Justice. Belmont, CA: 

West/Wadsworth Publishing CO. 

2 Is‘ Century Solutions, Inc. 51 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Appendix 1: DVERT Information and Forms 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
PARTICIPATING AGENCIES FOR 

DVERT 

(DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ENHANCED RESPONSE TEAM) 

J Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) 

J Center for Prevention of Domestic VioIence (CPDV) 

J Children’s Advocacy Center 

J City of Fountain Police Department 

J City of Green Mountain Falls Marshal’s Office 

J City of Manitou Springs Police Department 

J City of Palmer Lake Marshal’s Office 

J Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) 

J Colorado University at Colorado Springs (CUCS) 

J El Paso County Department of Human Services (EPCHS) 

J El Paso County Humane Society (HSPPR) 

J El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPCSO) 

J Fourth Judicial District Attorney‘s Office 

J Fourth Judicial District Probation Department 

J law Enforcement Chaplains 

J Pikes Peak Arkansas River Legal Aid 

J Senior Victims Assistance Team (SVAT) 

J Teller County Sheriff’s Office 

J Town of Calhan Marshal’s Office 

J Town of Monument Police Department 

J United States Air Force (09) 

J Academy 

J Falcon Air Force Base 

J Peterson Air Force Base 

J Space Command 

J United States Army (CID) 

J Fort Carson 

J Woodland Park Police Depmment 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
e 

e 

DVERT 

Staffing Recommendations 

0 Active 

0 Inactive 

DOMESTIC *wolnct 

Law Enforcement 

DA's ofhce 

I I 

I I 

1 I 

CPDV 

I I 

EPCHS 

I I 

Other 

I I 

RECOM.doc 

6/96 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Enhanced Response Team 

DVERT Referral Form 

OffendE 

NaUU?: 

Date of Birth. 

Addras: 

cityistat&@: 

hale: @) (w) 

Rae: 

Rdrtianship: 

Check and describe all that apply: 

0 1. Hismy of D.V. inadanis: 

0 3. bircu threats of violence: 

vi& 

Nane: 

Date of Birth: 

Addras: 

city/slrtJzip: 

Phone: @) (w) 

Rae: 

Rdationship: 

0 6. Typeofinjruy: 

~~ 

0 8. R-1 of \i&n to go to a safe plae: 

0 10. Accgstoweapoos: 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
0 a 

DVERT Response Team 

DOMESTIC 

Enhanced 

aioLEwcE 

Response Team I 

Officer finds no 

Probable Cause 

Call Screen Printout 

DVERT Flow Chart Oficer finds probable cause 

I I 

Dispatch pages Domestic Violence Coordinator 

I File in the DVERT Casefile 

DVC contacts ComCenter by phone 

DVC contacts officer by phone 

DVC pages DVERT Response Team 

I 

I 

Conference call for responding team 

DVERT Criteria 

Non - DVERT Casc 

DVERT Tcam to Scene 

(after DVC arrival) 

(sec Response Team duties) Open DVERT CASE I 

Assign DVERT Case Number I 

Secondary Response Team (as needed) 

EPCHS: children, at-risk adults 

HSPPR: animal abuse 

Policing (POP) SVAT senior citizens 

OSI/CID: military personnel 

Chaplains / ministers / clinicians 

Childrcn's AdvocacylCASA 

CSPD DV Coordinator I (DVC) 

Not Problem 

v 

Oriented Problem Oriented I Policing (POP) 

Info to Law Enforcement Com. Ccnter (CAD) 

I 

I Hazard Dispatch Designation L 

Clear scene 

I 

Follow-up activity 

PROTO.& 

6/96 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Enhanced Response Team 

DVERT Flow Chart 

d Referral 

RT Coordinator 

*Date stamps referral 

*Create case jacket 

*Verifies current county adhs 

*Determines which referrals rcccive 

*Make copies of referral and send3 to 

DVERT Unit staffing mcmh 

*Runs criminal histories 

*Schedules staffing meetings 

fill staffing 

[DVERT Unit Staffing Members& 

f 1 I *Send names of case participants 

*Prepare case material for staffing 

to DVERT Coordinator. 

LDeputy District Atton + 

*DA Files 

Law Enforcement 

- 

I 

WIS 

*NCIC I *CCIC 

*Call History 

*Case Repom *Summons 

*Utilities Check 

*Center Files 

*Client Releases 

*Child 

EPCHS 

Abuse 

1 

I 

*Cd Regisby 

Neglect History 

~+ DVERT staffing +'J 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
DVERT Team 

Duties at the Crime Scene 

CSPD Domestic Violence Coordinator 

0 Videotape scene including interviews 

0 Photograph injuries to victim 

0 Review and collect Fhysid evidence 

0 Neighborhood witness follow up 

0 ~amily member witness follow up 

0 Capture and duplicate 91 1 tape 

0 Contact secondary response (as needed) 

Deputy District Attorney 

0 Assist with interview of victim and witnesses 

0 Provide advice on legal issues 

0 Advise in evidence collection 

0 Provide prosecution perspective at scene 

0 Assist with paperwork 

0 Request increased bond from on call judge 

CPDV Victim Advocate 

Provide support and information to victim: 

c) explain resources available to victim and children 

0 explain 1egaVcriminal process 

0 explain restraining order process 

0 provide Victim Information Packet 

0 arrange transportation to Safehouse (inecessary) 

Enhanced Response Team 

An individual advocate will be assigned to each victim for all active DVERT cases. 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
0 DVERTDetective 

0 DVERT Advocate 

0 ~~~~~~etective 

0 DVERTAdvocate 

Ll ~~~~~~etective 

0 DVERTAdvocate 

0 DVERT Detective 

0 Advocate 

Coordinator 

0 CPDV Coordinator 

0 DVERTDeputy 

DA 

0 EPCHS 

0 OSUCID 

0 HSPPR 

0 CPDV Coordinator 

0 DVERTAdvocate 

0 DVERTEnhanced Response Teaam 

DVERT Team 

Follow-up Task List 

Initial victim follow-up within 24 hours of incident 

Revisit victim 3-5 days after incident to photograph visible injuries. 

Follow-up interview with victim for additional information (Le., about 

the incident, additional witnesses, prior similar acts by the defendant, 

subsequent threats or intimidation by the defendant), referrals (e.g., housing, 

legal services, counseling, etc.), and case supplements for law enforcement. 

When appropriate, contact school’s district official to advise of 

DVERT intervention. 

Case preparation (i.e., interview victim, witnesses, responding members 

of DVERT team; review all physical evidence, review all photographs 

and enlarge for prosecution; file Motion for Similar Acts, file Motion in 

Limine re: excited utterance, prepare charts of crime scene and physical 

injuries, etc.). 

Ongoing follow-up documentation as directed by DVERT Program 

Coordinator or designee, per stfig recommendations and protocol. 

DA 

0 EPCHS 

0 HSPPR 

0 OSUCID 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Appendix 2: Interview Protocols 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Interview Protocol e DVERT Participants 

Interviewer: 

Date of Interview Time: 

Location of Interview 

Name of Interview participant: 

Title: 

Agency: 

Describe your current job responsibilities: 

History of involvement in DVERT 

I would like you to think about the origins of the DVERT program. (The following a questions are aimed at the early history of the program.) 

When did you first hear about DVERT? 

From whom? 

How did you/ your agency become involved in DVERT? 

What is the role of your agency in DVERT? 

From your perspective, what are the objectives of DVERT? 

1 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
In you opinion what have been the major accomplishments of your agency as a result of 

DVERT? 

Improving services for women victims 

From your perspective, have services to women been improved as a result of DVERT? 

If so, how? Give specific examples. 

If not, what seems to have been the challenges? 

Changes in Law Enforcement practices 

From you perspective have practices in law enforcement (police) changed as a result of 

DVERT? 

If so, how? Give specific examples. 

If not, what seems to have been the challenges? 

Has violence again women been reduced? 

From your perspective, has violence again women been reduced as a result of DVERT? 

If so, how? Give specific examples. 

If not, what has worked against this reduction? 

2 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
From your perspective, has DVERT made an impact on serving women victims in any 

way that hasn’t been mentioned? 

If so how, specifically? 

Children 

From your perspective, has violence against children been reduced as a result of 

DVERT? 

If so, how? Give specific examples. 

Collaborations 

Let’s talk about the different groups involved in DVERT. How many agencies are 

involved? 

a Are the roles of the agencies differentiated? Are there conflicts over roles? 

Are there conflicts among the agencies? 

Are decisions made easily? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being easy and 1 being difficult 

what would be the score? 

How often does your agency meet with the others? Weekly? Monthly? 

Do the other agencies actively participate in the discussions? 

3 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
DVERT Participants 

-2. DVERT staff provided me with support. 

3. DVERT law enforcement officers understood my 

problems and concerns 

4. DVERT services were extremely helpful to me overall. 

5. The DVERT program made me feel safe. 

Interviewer: 

Date of Interview 

Location of Interview 

Time start: 

Time end: 

When did you first become a DVERT client? / (monthlyear) not sure 

Are you still a DVERT client? - yes - no 

If no, when was your case "de-activated?" / (monthlyear) 

During the time you were (are) a DVERT client, on average, how often were you (or are 

currently) in contact with a DVERT advocate? 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

Daily 

Twice a week 

Weekly 

Two times a month 

Monthly 

Other 

How many times have you had contact with a DVERT Advocate? 

How many times have you had contact with a DVERT police officer? 

This section asks about your perceptions of the DVERT program. 

Strongly t 1. The DVERT advocate was available to me whenever I 

needed her. 

213141 0 

Neutra 

1 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Each of the following questions should be prefaced with: "During the time that you 

were in the program ..." 

Did you stay with your partner? - yes - no 

e 

Were there times when you wanted to call the police because you were afiaid of 

possible violence against yourself? __ yes - no 

+If so, did you call the police or decide not to call the police? 

- called - decided not to call 

+ +(If called): About how many times were you afiaid and called 

the police? times - not sure 

++(If decided not to call): About how many times were you 

afraid but decided not to call the police? times not sure 

+Did you call your DVERT advocate? - yes - no 

Were your children ever present during an incident of domestic violence in your 

household? - yes - no .- I do not have children. 

+Did you report this incident to the police? - yes - no 

+Did you report this incident to your DVERT advocate? - yes - no 

Criminal Justice System issues 

During the time that you were in the program, was your partner ever arrested for a 

domestic violence violation (restraining order, harassment, stalking, assault, etc.)? 

- Yes - no 

+How many times did this happen? times not sure 

Think about the most recent experience. At the time you made a police report, how did 

the oficer(s) treat you? Would you say they were: 

very helpful - helpful not helpful? 

+Was the police officer involved with the arrest a DVERT officer? 

Notes: 

2 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
a Was your case forwarded to the district attorney? - yes __ no not sure 

+If so, How were your treated? Were they: 

very helpful helpful not helpful? 

Did your case go to trial? - yes - no 

What was the outcome of the case? (check all that apply) 

jail - probation prison sentence 

some combination 3 describe: 

other + describe: 

Counseling/Other agency involvement 

What other agencies provided services to you (as part of DVERT) (circle all that apply) 

1. The Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence 

2. DHSKPS 

3. CASA 

4. Humane Society 

0 

5. Other describe: 

How were you treated by the people in those agencies? Were they very helpful, helpful, 

not helpful? 

(write agency listed above): very helpful helpful not helpful 

(write agency listed above): very helpful helpful not helpful 

(write agency listed above): very helpful helpful not helpful 

(write agency listed above): very helpful helpful - not helpful 

(write agency listed above): very helpful helpful not helpful 

Have you received grouphdividual counseling? - yes - no 

+If yes, where? 

Has your partner received grouphdividual counseling? - yes - no 

+If yes, where? 

Have your children received grouphdividual counseling yes - no 0 +If yes, where? 

3 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
e 

3 If you are still with your partner, has your relationship changed? - yes - no 

+How has it changed? 

If you could change the current system for dealing with domestic violence, what is the 

one thing you would most like to see change? 

What would help you the most? 

If you were giving this survey, what questions would you like to see included that we 

have not asked you? 

What would be your answer to this question? 

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your experiences with DVERT or 

anything else? 

4 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Victim Responses 

2 1 Century Solutions' staff interviewed 19 DVERT clients in April 2000. A 30- 

item questionnaire was used to determine victim perceptions of DVERT and domestic 

violence. Victims were asked to sign a consent form indicating their voluntary 

participation and the confidential nature of the interviews. Eighteen of the 19 

interviewees were compensated $20 for their time. Interviews took place at the DVERT 

offices over a two-day period. 

These are the results of those interviews. 

Victims: 

19 clients interviewed; 18 women, 1 man 

Time in DVERT: as low as 1 month to 28 months; average of 12 months 

Average contact with DVERT -- 2 "not often"; 5 twice a week; 5 weekly; 5 twice a 

month; 2 monthly 

Number of contacts by advocate: range of 1 to 300; one person said 300 contacts; if 

these are averaged 50 contacts per client; if this one is removed, then about 36 contacts 

per client. 

Number of contacts by police: 13 1 total contacts or about 7 per client. 

Perceptions of DVERT program: 

The DVERT advocate was available to me whenever I needed her -- 8 strongly agree; 9 

agree; 1 disagree; 1 no opinion 

DVERT staff provided me with support -- 8 strongly agree; 9 agree; 1 disagree; 1 

strongly disagree 

DVERT law enforcement officers understood my problems and concerns -- 12 strongly 

agree; 2 agree; 3 strongly disagree; 2 no opinion 

The DVERT Program made me feel safe -- 10 strongly agree; 6 agree; 1 disagree; 1 

strongly disagree; 1 no opinion 

On domestic violence: 

During the time that you were in the program.. . 

Did you stay with your partner? 4 Yes 15 No 

Were there times when you wanted to call the police because you were afiaid of 

possible violence against yourself? 13 Yes 6 No 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
If so, did you call the police or decide not to call the police? 

9 called the police; 4 wanted to, but didn't 

How many times did you call? From 3 calls to 20 calls [3 said 3 

times; 3 said 4 times; 2 said 5 times; 1 said 201 

Did you call the DVERT Advocate? 11 called; 2 did not call 

Were your children ever present during an incident of dv in you r household? 10 yes 

6 No 3 no children 

Did you report this incident to the police? 

Did you report this incident to your DVERT advocate? 

6 yes 4 no 

8 yes 2 no 

Criminal Justice System Issues 

During the time that you were in the program, was your partner ever arrested for a 

domestic violence violation? 

13 Yes 6 No, of these 2 reported to the police, but an arrest was not made. 

So 15 called the police -- 13 arrests; 2 no arrests, but a report was filed 

How many times did this happen? Range fiom 1 to 10 times 

Treatment by police 13 very helpfbyhelpful; 2 not helpfbl 

6 were DVERT cops; 7 were not; 2 did not know 

Was the case forwarded to the DA? 13 Yes 

Treatment by DA: 10 helpfUVvery helpful 3 not helpful 

2 No 

Case go to trial? 5 yes 7 no (5 plea bargains) 

What other agencies provided services to you: 

CPDV 16 

DHS 8 

CASA 9 

HS 0 

Other 10 

Victim in counseling during the time in DVERT? 15 yes 4 no 

Perp in counseling during the time in DVERT? 10 yes 7 no 

Children in counseling during the time in DVERT? 11 yes 7 no 

2 DK 

2 no children 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Comments: 

e What would you change? 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 

17. 

18. 

19. 

20. 

They have been good to me, but I would change this ... if my advocate is not in 

the ofice, another advocate should be able to help me. Sharing of cases, so if 

they are not in I can still be helped and understood. 

Legal assistance for victim's throughout the whole process; no one is looking for 

the rights of victims 

Would like to see another level in DVERT -- a maintenance level after we are 

released fiom Level 1. (felt abandoned) 

Have more advocates to give more attention to each victim. 

Stiffer laws and penalties (4 people) 

Financial assistance (3 people) 

More thorough investigations 

DVERT needed to show up when the incident occurred, not 4 months later 

DVERT interviewed my son and took him away -- parental rights lost 

DHS should change -- threatened me about my child's safety 

Put the offender in jail and keep him there; offender has too much fieedom to 

harass her because of the judge's decision. 

DVERT is good, but they really can't do anything to stop the offender until he 

violates the law. Their hands are tied. What more can be done physically to 

protect the victim? (3 people said a version of this) 

Discouraged when I went to court -- the judge didn't understand; treated her as if 

she did something wrong. 

Need speedy trial and judges who are more aware of DV issues; judges don't 

seem to understand the harm that could be caused by such a simple thing as a 

violation 

Expedite the process; dragged on for so long; have people informed 

DHS and GAL worked against me; made false accusations about me, took my 

child and place her with the offender who sexually abused her (and now facing 

charges) 

Stronger ability to separate abuser fiom victim 

Women need more one-on-one support; more personnel needed to work with the 

legal system; need to be able to get help, but then left alone 

Not enough protection for women in DV; never really felt safe until fiiends told 

the offender to stay away; not enough laws to scare him off 

Officers need to take things more seriously, need to be educated and understand 

the situation; 

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experiences in DVERT? 

1. 

2. 

3. 

DA never tells me anything.. .everything is through my advocate.. jail doesnlt tell 

me when the offender is bailed out 

The program makes me feel safe.. . Would like to see the victim more empowered related to making changes 0 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 

16. 

17. 

18. 

19. 

20. 

"really thank God for DVERT, they pulled me through. I'm much more stable 

now. DVERT helped me get help for my alcoholism and I got treatment and I 

have not drank in a year." Advocates provided support in all aspects of the case. 

"Police officers taking reports need education and sensitivity training.. . they 

made me feel like I deserved to be beaten." 

DVERT did not treat me fairly and was not beneficial to me; caused financial 

problems, stress, and harmed my son. 

An officer told the perp that if the child "mouthed-off' he could hit her with his 

fist as long as he did not bruise her. So he pulled her hair and pushed her down 

and scratched her neck later. 

DVERT really made a bright point in my process -- hear my views; understand 

cycles; how to know if he's changing; list of resources I didn't even know about 

(clothes, food). . . Am overly thankhl.. . never have this for whole year of divorce 

filing . . . DVERT officer was compassionate and helphl and understanding 

Until DVERT came along, I never knew anyone who understood DV . . . they 

were like the cavalry who showed up and knew what war was about .. Have DVERT step in and take more action against the offender 

DVERT is a great program.. . without the advocate, I would not have gotten a 

restraining order . . . having an advocate in court was very valuable . . . otherwise 

wouldn't have followed through on charges . . . I would probably be 6 feet under 

right now 

DA needs to communicate with the community -- only bad experience with 

DVERT was with the DA's office 

Need more advocates to help victims 

Overall DVERT has been really good.. . I have a 91 1 cel phone and it's worked 

great.. . they have been there when I needed them.. . they are too short-handed 

though.. 

Peace Group has been wonderful .. and DVERT, too.. .has been the backbone -- 

pull the rope on my end -- Peace group has been able to educate me to accept 

boundaries and helped me in all aspects of my life ...g reat education.. . DVERT needs to follow up more 

Because of DVERT and how everyone has pulled together, it has possibly saved 

my life.. . once the offender realized about DVERT and the support I received he 

backed down to some degree.. .the outcome would have been different if it was 

not for DVERT.. .stalking would have continued 

Everything has gone well ..DA was very good.. .judge was very good 

Advocates were sweet, helpful, great in getting counseling for me.. .they stick 

with you.. . really care about you.. . DVERT is good -- it's the best thing that could have happened in the situation.. . 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Appendix 3: Report of Findings from DVERT Interviews 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Researcher-Practitioner Partnership with 

the DVERT Project, Colorado Springs, CO: 

Report of Findings from DVERT Interviews 

prepared by 

Jennifer Adams Mastro fski, Ph. D. 

Institute for Continuing Justice Education and Research 

The Pennsylvania State University, 

Consultant for 2Js_t Century Solutions, 

March 2000 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Executive Summary 

Interviews 

Nineteen interviews were completed with persons having key affiliation with The Domestic 

Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT). Persons were identified by the project manager, 

the Principal Investigator for the DVERT process evaluation or by persons initially completing 

interviews. They represented law enforcement, victims advocates, caseworkers, attorneys, 

medical professionals, and DVERT staff. Job descriptions of these persons varied from first 

responders to project managers and directors. All interviewees were assured of confidentiality. 

Questions were jointly-designed by the research consultant completing the interviews, the Principal 

Investigator, and the project manager, with input from DVERT staff. In generally, questions were 

open-ended. They covered five major areas: history of DVERT, roles of partner agencies, impact 

of DVERT on domestic violence, nature of collaboration among partner agencies, and suggestions 

for improving DVERT. 

History and Roles 

Interviewees became involved with DVERT through a number of channels which predominately 

included educational settings (police academy or institution of higher education), job orientations, 

or active involvement in development of DVERT. They basically understand their affiliated 

agencies to have one of four major roles in DVERT: staff provision, advocacy for victims, 

training, consultation services. 

Among goals and objectives of DVERT which interviewees identified, five were cited more than 

others: identification and management of the most lethal domestic violence cases; multidisciplinary, collaborative team approach toward handling domestic violence cases; perpetrator 

accountability, victim safety, and consistent, coordinated guidelines for responding to domestic 

violence. The topic of goals and objectives raised questions for persons interviewed. Some 

interviewees believe that goals of DVERT have changed with time and that such changes have 

significant policy implications. The definition of “lethality” and how it can be measured is one 

example of an area where DVERT’s goals and objectives may have changed. 

e 

Impact 

Interviewees described several major accomplishments of their affiliated agencies as a result of 

DVERT to date. Accomplishments varied by representation of the interviewee. Respondents from 

victims services focused on three major categories: inter-agency relationships, services for victims, 

and organizational accomplishments. Law-enforcement personnel emphasized increased 

awareness, education, and training; networking; and systems communication among major 

accomplishments. Interviewees from the Department of Human Services (DHS) indicated that the 

linkage between domestic violence and child welfare is a major accomplishment, as are 

organizational changes associated with DVERT. Those affiliated with the District Attorney’s ofice 

identified tougher plea bargaining, education, effective prosecution, and resource availability. 

Services to women. The vast majority of persons interviewed believe that services to 

women have improved as a result of DVERT. They cite improvement through agency 

collaboration, training, the women themselves, and new programs and initiatives. Of these 

categories, interviewees focused on the women themselves more than any other area. They 

2 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
described cell phones, safe housing, and counseling as some of some ways in which services have 

improved. Challenges to serving victims include feelings of being overwhelmed by the task at 0 hand or personnel issues, such as low pay for victims advocates. 

Barriers to improving services were identified by about ohe-third of interviewees. They include 

housing needs, limited resources, and potential for the process to re-victimize some women. 

Changes in law enforcement. Most respondents feel that practices in law enforcement have 

changed as a result of DVERT. Categories of change encompass education and training, 

organizational changes (FAST-TRACK, for example), inter-agency relationships, direct services, 

and resources. 

The value of lawenforcement rotations at DVERT has a rippling effect on changing law 

enforcement. Not only do rotations dramatically change the perspective and knowledge of officers 

directly involved in a rotation, but the experiences of rotating officers filter back to home 

departments when rotations have ended. Other examples of changes in law enforcement include 

better understanding and enforcement of the law with mandatory arrest (along with relevant issues, 

such as stalking, dual arrests, and primary aggressors), needs in rural areas, and sensitivity to the 

subject of domestic violence. 

A few interviewees described challenges to change within law enforcement which focused on the 

slowness of institutional change compared to individual change. 

Reduction of violence. This question was puzzling to interviewees but resulted in 

provocative comments about this topic. Individuals have diverse images of conceptualizing 

“reduction.” Perspectives spanned a number of themes, including recidivism, victim safety, and 

supervision by DVERT. Most striking is the conviction among respondents that violence is 

reduced for women who are active participants in DVERT when recidivism for perpetrators is 

virtually non-existent. Interviewees struggle with how reduction in violence can be objectively and 

quantitatively measured. Questions posed to interviewees about whether violence has been 

reduced for children, as a result of DVERT, generated very similar responses by interviewees -- 

that violence is reduced for those children whose mothers are actively involved within DVERT’s 

caseload due to a number of variables, such as increased vigilance of those children, and programs 

and resources for those children. 

Respondents are realistic in identifying challenges to reducing violence. Almost one-half 

suggested that some educational pieces are missing (school programming for adolescents, for 

instance); DVERT’s limitations impact reduction; the nature of the community with its transient 

population and value system poses challenges; and that there are questions about identifying 

persons appropriate for intervention. A few persons verbalized the on-going debate of how 

reduction in violence can be reasonably measured, particularly in light of missing ingredients for 

the formula -- i.e., lack of knowledge about the full scope of victimization, and deception 

associated with statistics (paradox of increase in call for services as result of initiatives that are 

“working”). 

It is noteworthy that at least one interviewee believes that initiatives like DVERT can have 

unexpected negative impacts on reducing violence and women victims -- such as the potential of 

further endangering women with Dependency and Neglect legislation. 

3 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Collaborations 

Role differentiation. The topic of inter-agency collaborations generated lively discussion 

and opinions. Interviewees differentiated between levels of collaborations: those among “core” 

partner-agency staff housed at DVERT; those among staff of partner agencies who are split in their 

physical location (at DVERT and partner agency offices); and those among partner agencies at 

large. Across the board, the majority of interviewees feel strongly that role differentiation is 

generally clear. By the same token, the majority also believe that there are conflicts associated with 

role differentiation. Conflicts stem from a variety of sources, which include intennittent 

misunderstanding about differentiating roles; sharing common goals with different agency policies 

to achieve those goals; lack of knowledge about partner agencies’ policies/regulations and 

constraints; and conflicts over information-sharing. 

differentiation. However, many respondents emphasize the positive aspects of conflict as well. 

One person interjected that conflict ‘‘speaks for the process” of inter-agency collaboration; another 

suggested that conflict translates into “healthy debates.” Areas of conflict extend to turf and 

jurisdiction; definitional issues; decision-making; powerkontrol within DVERT, establishment of 

in-house disciplinary policies; and some levels of distrust; among others. 

e 

Conflict. The majority of interviewees believe that there are also conflicts outside of role 

Perceptions about role differentiation and conflict are rich in content and underscore both positive 

and challenging aspects of multi-agency collaboration. They span dilemmas associated with 

everyday co-existence to overarching differences in philosophies and organizational cultures 

represented. 

Decision-making. Decision-making has many dimensions, described by some 

interviewees as those related to roles of partner agencies, cases specifically, and policies. Within 

this structure, respondents might judge decision-making at one level as quite “easy” but quite 

difficult at another. 

Further, interviewees have diverse views about how they conceptualize “ease” of decision-making. 

Some respondents suggest that decisions are made easily because they are made largely by 

leadership alone, for example. It is critical, then, to review quantitative estimates of “ease in 

decision-making” within the context of qualitative data to avoid misinterpretation of rankings. 

Most generally, respondents are quite diverse in how they view decision-making as a concept and 

how it technically transpires within DVERT. Their provocative statements broaden horizons for 

examining the nature of decision-making within a complex, multi-agency environment. 

... 

Meetings and active participation. Reflective of perceptions toward decision-making, 

interviewees varied significantly in estimating how often partner agencies meet. Variation appears 

largely due to different roles and functions among partner agencies. Interviewees identified with 

“core” partner agencies, particularly those who share physical space in the DVERT offices, 

describe meetings with one or more partner representatives on daily bases. Other interviewees, 

including staff from partner agencies who are not housed in common space, are not as familiar 

with these types of on-going meetings and estimate the frequency of meetings to be much less. 

Some interviewees acknowledge lack of awareness about the full extent of meetings among various 

agency partners or representatives. 

There are also differences among interviewees in their estimates of how frequently meetings are 

held with all partner agencies together. Estimated frequency of this type of meeting varied from 

4 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
“rarely” to quarterly. Views toward active participation in meetings mirror earlier perceptions 

toward decision-making and frequency of meeting in general: Interviewees perceive affiliates of 

core partner agencies as participating much more actively in meetings than those who are associated 

with less involved partner agencies. One interviewee stated that, “...basically, those actively 

involved are a minute few of the 20+ agencies...;” another suggested that participation is 

“unilaterally” framed by administration. 

Suggestions for Improving DVERT. 

The final interview question provided interviewees the opportunity to brainstorm creatively on 

ways to improve DVERT. They were encouraged to use their individual expertise and unique 

vantage points to formulate ideas. As a result, interviewees generated a wealth of thoughts and 

proposals which fell into four general categories: policies and decision-making, servicesfor 

victims, resources and manpower, training, and physical environment. They proposed over 50 

suggestions. 

Policies and decision-making. Just under 40% of all suggestions fell within this category. 

Interviewees proposed improvements in management and leadership, gave suggestions for current 

and future directions, voiced opinions about organizational, day-to-day issues, and addressed 

personnel matters. With regard to management, proposals vary from less “micro-management” and 

fewer supervisodmanagers to more “free-flow interaction among staff at the lower street level, 

where people are most knowledgeable.” More far reaching, ideas range from extending policymaking beyond core membership and ways to perpetuate the ideas of DVERT to limiting DVERT 

cases to Level I’s, only. Organizationally, interviewees express desire for meetings which 

function more as brainstorminghnput sessions rather than as status-report forums, or meetings 

which tackle tough issues like standardization of thresholds for case inclusion. Under personnel is 

a proposal for developing consistent internal standards for all staff housed in DVERT offices. 

Services for victim. Approximately 25% of suggestions are directly linked to victims 

services. These vary from improving response time, linking services to welfare benefits, 

developing ways for victims to become more empowered and self-sufficient, establishing more 

follow-up and long-term care after emergencies, and developing more programs for children. 

a 

Resources and manpower. Another 25% of recommendations call for more resources and 

staff generally, equalizing financial commitments among partners, and obtaining support from city 

and county governments. 

Training. Ten percent of all suggestions focus on continuing on-going training, expanding 

Physical environment. A few other suggestions propose more physical space generally and 

training nationally, and developing more specialized and advanced training where appropriate. 

more private space in particular -- especially related to phone use. 

Twenty hours of interview data from 19 respondents produced a wealth of insight on challenging, 

complex, and provocative dimensions associated with service provision and collaboration among 

multi-partner agencies. While these opinions and perspectives do not necessarily represent the 

majority of all those actively involved with DVERT, they nevertheless establish a strong base for 

future dialogue and policy-making that builds on past and current successes as well as sources of 

frustration and challenges. 

5 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Introduction 

As part of the larger DVERT Researcher-Practitioner Partnership evaluation project, a series of 

interviews were conducted by this consultant with key persons involved with DVERT. The aim of 

the interviews was to gather in-depth qualitative information from persons who have had some 

history with DVERT - either by being involved with DVERT from its inception, from having had 

an active role in DVERT in the past, or from current affiliation with the project. 

Persons interviewed were identified using two different methods. First, the Principal Investigator 

for the evaluation project, the DVERT project manager, and a long-term staff member of DVERT, 

suggested names of persons with long-term histones on the project. This process resulted in a core 

list of about 10-12 key persons. Interviews were scheduled with as many of these individuals as 

possible under some scheduling limitations. 

Second, after each interview was conducted, interviewees were asked to name three.persons he/she 

felt it would be important to interview as well, using the general criteria described above. In some 

cases, these names included persons already identified for interviews. Using this broadly defined 

snowball sampling, then, another 12 persons were scheduled for interviews. 

From this two-step selection process, 21 interviews were scheduled during time periods when the 

interviewer/consultant was available in Colorado Springs. Two persons canceled interview 

appointments, resulting in the completion of 19 interviews. 

While these interviews do not by any means reflect the views of the majority of persons affiliated 

with DVERT, they do provide a wealth of insight into diverse, provocative perspectives of key 

individuals involved with DVERT. Within this context, then, the findings reported here are rich in 

content and quality. . 

Methods and Design 

Interview topics and format 

The Principal Investigator for the Researcher-Practitioner Partnership project and this consultant 

worked jointly to develop the interview protocol. They customized an interview instrument used in 

a previous evaluation project (conducted by the consultant) to meet the needs of the Principal 

Investigator and DVERT staff for this current grant. Some questions were used verbatim from the 

earlier project; others were developed specifically for this evaluation project. In particular, 

questions about role differentiation, collaboration, and conflict were developed specifically for 

DVERT associates. 

Interviews focused on the following main topics: 

8 Perspectives on the evolution and history of DVERT; 

8 Various roles of individual agencies involved with DVERT; 

6 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
e Impact of DVERT on domestic violence and children living in domestic-violence a environments; 

e Nature of collaboration among partner agencies ; 

e Suggestions for Improving DVERT. 

Interviews were semi-structured in design. Interviewees were asked to respond to numerous 

questions under each broad topic. With few exceptions, questions were open-ended. As 

necessary for clarification, follow-up questions or probes were introduced by the interviewer. In 

such cases, the interviewer recorded both the wording of follow-up questions or probes and 

responses to these interviews with 19 persons. This report represents summaries of responses by 

main topic and questions within each topic. 

Confidentiality 

Interviewees were assured of confidentiality prior to &ginning interviews. Specifically, each 

person was given a brief explanation of the purpose of the interview, an introduction to the 

interviewer and her role in the larger evaluation project, assured that no response would be 

identifiable, and that, primarily, group responses would be reported. If an individual interviewee 

did give a response to a question in such a way that hidher identity would be apparent, the 

interviewer indicated to that person that the response would be edited slightly to insure privacy. 

On rare occasions during the interviews, an interviewee would ask that hidher response not even 

be recorded on paper. These requests were, of course, honored. 

Agency rep resent at ion 

Persons who were interviewed represented the following member agencies: 

. 

e Law enforcement - as rotating/overtime officers or detectives (4 interviewees); 

e Center for Prevention of Domestic Violence - as victims advocates (7 interviewees); 

e Department of Human Services - as caseworkers or managers (4 interviewees); 

District Attorney's Ofice - as prosecuting attorneys (2 interviewees); e 

e DVERT staff with no other current member affiliation (1 interviewee); 

e Medical field - in advisory capacity for DVERT project (1 interviewee). 

Of these, seven persons had formal DVERT-staff positions on the DVERT project in the following positions: .- 

e Staffing Coordinator, 

e Training Coordinator (position has since been restructured), ' 

e Project Manager, 

e Level II Manager, 

0 

7 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
e Research and Development Manager, 

0 Senior Operations Manager (2 interviewees). 

Summary of Responses by Main Topics 

Identifying Information 

At the beginning of each interview, interviewees were asked a few questions about their own 

background, from which the member-agency representation and DVERT staff affiliation, just 

described, were compiled. In addition, interviewees provided brief descriptions of their current 

jobs, which varied significantly by interview. Job descriptions included a full range of 

responsibilities reflective of persons who work as both front-line service providers and responders 

as well as program managers and directors. 

History of Involvement in DVERT 

hterviewees were asked a number of questions about their personal history with DVERT - 

including when they first heard about it and from whom; when their affiliated agency became 

involved with DVERT; and what their agency’s role wadis with DVERT. 

First hear about it andfrom whom. Most of the interviewees’ history with DVERT extends 

back to the last two-three years (1996-97). A couple of individuals indicated that they had heard 

about DVERT as long ago as 1994, when it was still in discussion and conceptualizing stages. 

Respondents’ first connection to DVERT fell into three major categories - through an educational 

setting, such as a police academy or volunteer training or higher education; as part of a new job 

orientation or description; or because of active involvement in the development of DVERT. 

Not surprisingly, then, respondents heard about DVERT primarily from presenters, supervisors, 

or through direct professional connections. 

Member agency involvement with DVERT. According to interviewees, member agencies 

became involved with DVERT in a number of different ways which primarily included three: by 

virtue of being one of the founding member-agencies; affiation as a member-agency functioning 

under a Memorandum of Understanding with DVERT (and the Colorado Springs Police 

Department) and, subsequent assignment of agency staff to DVERT. A couple of respondents were 

either not sure how hidher respective agency became involved or were solicited for involvement 

because of specific personal skilldtalents not directly associated with a member agency. 

Role ofagency. Respondents basically understand their associated agencies to have one of 

four major roles: to provide staff for the DVERT project; to provide advocacy for victims; to 

educate and train partner agencies; and to serve as consultants to partner agencies or professionals 

in like positions (for example, an assistant district attorney @A) assigned to DVERT might provide 

consultative services to other assistant DA’s who are not so assigned; or a caseworker assigned to 

DVERT from Department of Human Services might serve as a resource for caseworkers not so 

assigned). 

.- 

.- 

a 

8 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Respondents were asked to give their perceptions on two final questions under the general heading 

of History of Involvement in DVERT. These related to goals and objectives of DVERT and 

major accomplishments of their respective agencies, as a result of DVERT. 

goals and objectives rather than one major goal. Therefore, the total number of goals and 

objectives described exceeded the number of interviews conducted. Five goals and objectives were 

cited more than any others, with another five goals and objectives mentioned by just a few 

respondents each. 

Objectives of DVERT. In the majority of interviews, respondents named two or three 

The five most frequently described goals and objectives were as follows: 

a Identification and management of the most lethal domestic violence cases; 

a Multi-disciplinary, collaborative, team approach toward handling of domestic violence 

cases which has the result of bringing systems together; 

a Perpetrator accountability, containment, and services; 

a Victim safety, protection, services, and well-being of children; 

Consistent, concentrated, coordinated, guidelines for responding to domestic violence a 

which has the result of providing a seamless approach for domestic-violence cases. 

Other goals and objectives described included: 

a Education of partner agencies and the community; 

Pro-active combating of domestic violence; 

Lowering of recidivism in the most lethal domestic-violence cases; 

e a 

a 

a Victim advocacy which includes long-term advocacy; 

- a First-level crisis intervention. 

This question led to several side discussions initiated by interviewees and clearly relevant in their 

minds. In particular, interviewees elaborated on the goal of identifying the most lethddangerous 

domestic-violence cases, perspectives that goals and objectives have changed with time, and 

opinions about perceived goals and objectives. 

Related to lethality, for instance, several interviewees believe that identification of the most lethal 

cases is a major goal and objective of DVERT. Nevertheless, they also feel that there is a lot of 

confusion about what lethality means and how it can be systematically measured or determined. 

Some respondents also indicated that aisessment of lethality and danger has changed over the life 

of DVERT. 

From these persons’ viewpoints, cases were referred to Level I, the highest level of lethality in 

DVERT, more readily in the early days of DVERT because the maximum caseload had not been 

reached. Today, according to these individuals, the same cases would not be referred to Level I 

status. Further, with the Level I caseload now at capacity, at least one interviewee raised concerns 

9 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
about Level I referrals which cannot be immediately served by Level I staff. From this person’s 

view, if a case is identified as lethal and falling under the criteria for inclusion as a Level I case, 

there should be no waiting period between the referral and case management. In other words, the 

very mandate of DVERT is to intervene in Level I cases immediately. 

In terns of change in goals and objectives over time, a few respondents described change in 

weight or emphasis from one component of the system to another -- such as shift from focus on 

prosecution to victim advocacy . More narrowly, a few interviewees described change in gods 

and objectives among particular member agency staff assigned to DVERT - such as change in job 

descriptions, case loads, what they axe charged to do, etc. In this context, a few respondents 

stated hidher opinions about DVERT’s goals and objectives - such as that the goals should reflect 

the work of one member agency more than another (prosecution over victim safety, law 

enforcement over victims advocacy, etc.). 

Major accomplishments. For the most part, intemiewees described several “major 

accomplishments” of their agencies as a result of DVERT.. Before summarizing responses from 

this question, however, it is important to note some confusion and errors that it raised during 

interviews. 

As written in the interview protocol, the question is asking interviewees to think about major 

accomplishments of their agencies as a result of its involvement in DVERT, not major 

accomplishments of DVERT itself. Occasionally, this interviewer actually asked the question 

incorrectly. More frequently, interviewees asked for clarification on the question which led to a 

follow-up explanation by the interviewer. In other words, the question is really exploring the 

impact of DVERT on member agencies represented in the interviews. 

Summaries of responses to this question are divided by disciplines represented: Victims services 

personnel, law enforcement personnel, human services personnel, prosecution, and others. 

Respondents from victims services described a number of major accomplishments for their 

respective agency (all being Center for Prevention of Domestic Violence) which could be 

categorized as: inter-agency relationships, services for victim, and organizational 

accomplishments. 

0’ 

Within the broader heading of inter-agency relationships, respondents identified a number of 

accomplishments. On a general level, interviewees described: 

e learning to collaborate and actually collaborating with other agencies that, according 

to one person, will be sustained even if DVERT were to “go away”- such as 

positioning advocates in Community Corrections, Probation and Parole, and 

Department of Human Services; 

e understanding of other agencies; .- 

developing relationships with other agencies. e 

Specific to inter-agency relationships with law enforcement, respondents described reaching into 

law enforcement, developing more positive relationships with police, and increased 

educatiodtraining at police academies as a result of DVERT. 

Under servicesfor victims, victims services respondents highlighted the following major agency 

0 

10 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
accomplishments as a result of DVERT: 

Greater access to obtaining restraining orders through the Center for Prevention of 

Domestic Violence; 

8 

0 Enhanced case management and advocacy for victims; 

Increase in number of victims served; 0 

0 Increase in number of services provided to victims; 

Increase in quality of services provided to victims. 0 

Within the general heading of organizational accomplishments, these respondents indicated that 

their field has benefitted by: 

0 Increased status for victims advocacy and more attention to victims advocacy; 

Increase in staff and, consequently, more advocates available; 

0 Increased education; 

0 Thinking “out of the box;” 

Being forced to ask, “what are we doing right, what are we doing wrong?,” and 0 

acknowledging that as an agency, advocates from the Center do make mistakes. 

Responses to this question by representatives of law enforcement contrasted with those of 

representatives from victims services along a number of dimensions. However, it is important to 

bear in mind that only four of the 19 interviews were conducted with persons from law 

enforcement. Further, for three of them, the question asked by the interviewer erroneously 

focused on “major accomplishments of DVERT,” rather than major accomplishments of the 

interviewee’s partner agency as a result of DVERT. With this qualification in mind, respondents’ 

comments focused on increased awareness, education and training as one major area of 

accomplishment; and networking, open communication between agencies, “more equality around 

the table, ” and “system talking” as another major area. Other incidental accomplishments 

described included containment of the perpetrator and media recognition of domestic violence. 

Interviewees from the Department of Human Services described major accomplishments which 

shed light on human-service linkages between domestic violence and child werfare historically, and 

orgunizatioml changes within human services as a result of DVERT. Both of these areas of 

accomplishment have significant implications for the field of human services, according to these 

persons. 

In the past, interviewees explained, caseworkers were trained to consider domestic violence 

primarily within the context of direct harm to children - i.e., has a child been injured because of 

domestic violence? Since the inception of DVERT, caseworkers have become much more aware of 

domestic violence as a family dynamic which has ramifications for all members, not just those 

targeted for injury. Consequently, domestic violence has developed into a new dimension of 

overall assessments in child-protective cases. Perspectives on child welfare have been broadened. 

.- 

11 

U.S. Department of Justice.

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report
A spin-off of this new perspective is what one interviewee described as a “philosophical shift” 

(rather than “retraining”) in child welfare. By this, the interviewee meant that caseworkers and 

supervisors are considering andor actually applying different interpretation to existing laws in 

place for child protection. 

Related to this accomplishment are organivrtional changes in human services as a result of 

DVERT. In particular, interviewees cite the very existence of a caseworker at the DVERT offices 

as significant as is the involvement of a victim‘s advocate with Temporary Assistance to Needy 

Families (TANF). In addition, the comfort of caseworkers to deal with domestic violence cases is 

being enhanced by a manual (in progress at the time of interviews) and from consultation with 

experts as needed. 

The two interviewees from the district attorney’s ofice identified four types of major 

accomplishments for this ofice as a result of DVERT: 

0 Tougher plea bargaining; 

0 Education of line district attorneys; 

Effective prosecution for a small number of cases; 0 

a Resources available for prosecution and ability to use DA resources for filings. 

One interviewee noted that there has been no prosecutorial impact at the misdemeanor level of 

domestic violence cases, however. 

Of the other two interviewees who represented other agencies/aff%ations, one person described 

referralsfrom outsiddnon-partner agencies as a major accomplishment of those agencies as a result 

of DVERT. 

0 

Impact of DVERT on Domestic Violence and Children in Domestic-Violence 

Environments 

The next few sets of questions focused on different as aspects of outcome and impact. First, 

respondents were asked questions about whether they thought services to women victims had been 

improved as a result of DVERT. Then they were asked questions about whether law enforcement 

practices had changed as a result of DVERT and, if so, how. Third, respondents were asked to 

consider the question of whether violence against women had been reduced due to DVERT’s 

efforts. And, fmally, respondents were asked to think about whether DVERT has had an impact 

on serving women victims in any other ways that hadn’t already been mentioned. 

Have services to women victims been improved The vast majority of persons interviewed 

believe that services to women victims have been improved as a result of DVERT. Thirteen out of 

19 persons interviews gave an absolute “yes” to this question. One person did not answer it 

directly; one person said that DVERT had improved services “some,y’ and one person was not sure 

if DVERT had resulted in improved services. Three other hterviewees provided a qualified 

statement to this question: Of these, one person’s view was that the quality, not the quantity of 

services had improved; another simply “hoped” services had improved; and the third stated only 

that there is a “percentage of identified DVERT victims who want no part of us.” (This person 

stated elsewhere in the interview that sometimes the number of persons arriving at a scene can have 

a negative effect on women victims among other concerns this person raised.) 

12 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
How services have improved. Interviewees who responded in the affhative to the 

question above were asked to provide specific examples of how services to women victims had 

been improved. These responses fell into a number of general themes, which included 

improvement through agency collaboration and working together; training (primarily of law 

enforcement); a number of areas of improvement which focused specifically on women victims 

themselves; and new programs or initiutives emerging from DVERT (such as the Victim Location 

Program, giving more intense attention to stalking as it relates to violence against women, and 

education and outreach in the community). Interviewees frequently cited more than one concrete 

example of improvement. Therefore, the total number of responses to this question exceeded the 

number of interviews. 

The vast majority of examples given - 23 total - were associated withkomen victims themselves 

and direct services. Interviewees cited improvements in empowering women victims, providing an 

immediate response to victims, giving women victims critical information about alternatives and 

resources available to them (such as cell phones, counseling, safe housing), one-to-one 

intervention, having advocates going to the women when they need help, being able to tell women 

victims they have someone to calVcount on, and linking women victims to other agencies. 

For persons who either did not believe that services have improved or they qualified their response 

to this question, a follow-up question was asked. Specifically, interviewees were asked to describe 

challenges to improving services from their perspectives. 

Six of the 19 persons interviewed responded to this question with 14 different responses, because 

some persons provided multiple “challenges.” Of those mentioned, five described barriers to 

services, such as: 

0 e housing needs; 

e need for on-going mentoring after the emergency of the situation levels off; 

need for providing resources related to “other ways of living;” 0 

e struggles between domestic violence and child welfare philosophically and legally; 

e possibilities that the “process” might “re-victimize” women or might be seen as another 

“system” to control;” 

e limited resources. 

Five other respondents described miscellaneous challenges, such as with space, lack of a diverse 

staff in DVERT, dilemmas associated with improvements (Le., that some advocates are pulled in 

many different directions), and concern about the “LInknown” -Le., victims who are NOT being 

helped because DVERT may not have identified them. 

Four respondents described challenges with advocates themselves that - in their minds - have 

relevance to improving services to women victims. Low pay (sometimes in relation to advocates 

elsewhere, and in contrast to pay of other staff working for DVERT), being overwhelmed with 

tasks before them, and the reality that collaboration and working on collaboration takes time away 

from working with victims, exemplify responses under this general category. 

13 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Have practices in law enforcement changed. The majority of interviewees believe that 

practices in law enforcement have changed as a result of DVERT. Eleven gave a positive response 

to this question, followed by four who were uncertain or did not know if practices had changed, a 

couple respondents did not answer the question as it was asked or did not answer the question at 

all, and one individual who gave a mixed - “yedno” response. 

Among comments that supplemented this first query about law enforcement practices were the 

following: 

e Officers who go through rotations at DVERT get a whole different education about 

domestic violence, and these individuals “make changes in the old cops who do rookie 

training” (in other words, the older officers leam from their rotation-officer peers and in 

turn pass this knowledge on to youngerhewer officers); 

e Changes “boils down to individual office rs.... (and) trickling down to know mandatory 

arrest policies;” 

e Anecdotal infoqnation - “heard” - that officers themselves are excited about DVERT, 

reinforced by appearance of some officers who “drop by” the Center for Prevention of 

Domestic Violence, which was “unheard of before;” 

e Particular credit to Howard Black, who, as one person stated, “I put him on a pedest al... 

His attitudddetermination made it (DVERT) go. Compassiodcommitment is so great .... leadership .... has to be humorous, compassionate, thick-skinned.” 

How practices have changed. Delving further into changes in law enforcement practices, 

interviewees’ specific examples reflected a number of change categories: education and training and 

awareness; organizational; inter-agency relationships; direct services for victims; and resources. 

One interviewee had no response to this question. Interviewees often gave more than one specific 

example of change in this question. 

0 

The category cited more frequently than any other related to education and training and awareness. 

Fourteen responses fell under this category and specifically included increased knowledge with the 

following: 

e 

e 

e 

e 

Significant change in knowledge generally from rotation work; 

Better understanding and enforcement of the law with mandatory arrest; 

Domestic violence and stalking; 

Dual arrests; 

Primary aggressors; 

Needs in rural areas; 

Sensitivity to the subject of domestic violence; 

Use of Polaroid cameras. 

.- 

14 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Under organizational changes, interviewees cited the impact of rotations on police departments 

generally, the FAST-TRACK innovation and assistance with FAST-TRACK officers, and 

working on Level II and III cases with DVERT. 

Specific to inter-agency rehtiomhips, respondents described changes in relationships between 

various police departments with assigning of rotation officers (described by one person as a “big 

change ... and a painful one because of the shortage of officers...”). According to some 

interviewees, this practice results in significant change in knowledge by the end of rotations. One 

respondent noted that, consequently, many rotation officers return to work at DVERT as over-time 

officers, and there is currently a two-week orientations for all staff at DVERT. This same person 

also noted that some law enforcement Supervisors will turn to rotation officers for information 

related to domestic violence cases and their work at DVERT. 

ChalZenges to change. Finally, under the general topic of perceived changes in law 

enforcement, five respondents described challenges to such changes. The remaining interviewees 

had no response to this question. Identified challenges focused mostly on the slowness of 

institutional chge as compared to individual change (for instance, that most of the rotation 

officers are younger than some of their departmental peers and that “some officers still don’t get 

it,” or, as one person phrased it, some officers have the view that “DVERT is some mythical place, 

a little thing over there...”), and challenges of a coordinated response (including the “inaccurate” 

(as characterized by one respondent) perception that officers are immediately ready to respond to 

calls when they actually must coordinate with other professionals from other agencies). 

Has violence against women been reduced. Interviewees were asked about whether they 

perceived that violence has been reduced as a result of DVERT. This question had been asked by 

the interviewer in another project in Pennsylvania with some interesting results. 

In that project, interviewees found the question sometimes puzzling, definitely challenging, and 

sometimes difficult to answer. At that time, the interviewer was interested not only in 

interviewees’ perceptions about reduction of violence but also their associations with measuring 

reduction. Interviewees had very diverse images of measuring violence reduction and some felt, in 

that project, that reducing violence was not a major thrust or objective of a coordinated response 

effort in domestic violence - at least not in the short-term. 

For these DVERT interviews, the modal-response was a qualified statement rather than a clear-cut 

“yes,” “no,” or “not sure.” Seven interviewees simply made statements about this question. Four 

respondents gave an affirmative response, sometimes followed by qualitative statements; and three 

respondents each gave either a negative response or a “not sure” response, with several of these 

responses also followed by qualitative statements. 

Qualified statements crossed a number of themes: 

0 recidivism as a measure of reducing violence; .- 

e victim safety as a measure of reducing violence; 

0 belief that there is reduction for persons in the DVERT caseload; 

0 other miscellaneous comments associating violence reduction to issues of stalking, victims 

and perpetrators being more educated, and so on. 

15 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
The most prominent message conveyed in these thoughtful comments was that when victims are in 

the DVERT caseload and are being servedsupported by DVERT staff, violence for those 

women is reduced. Further, when perpetrators are in the DVERT caseload and are being 

monitored by DVERT staff, recidivism for those perpetrators - as one means of 

measuring reduction of violence - is lowered or non-existent. 

Interviewees who responded with a “yes” to this question frequently qualified their responses as 

well. Some admitted: “I can’t tell how I know this...,” or, “violence is reduced for victims 

DVERT has identified” - acknowledging that there is a lot of violence “out there” that no one 

knows about. It is important to note that just prior to the second set of interviews conducted for 

this part of the evaluation, there were two domestic-violence homicides in short succession. One 

was reported in‘the news at the time of these second interviews. In neither case was the victim 

known to DVERT. 

Some respondents indicated either in the negative or “don’t knowhot sure” to this question 

elaborated on their responses, also. One person who responded “no,” added: “the recidivism has 

been (reduced); the actual ‘act’ (of violence) - no.” Another person who felt uncertain about an 

answer responded: “(I) can’t answer this because (Ywe) don’t get any data - a bone of contention 

forme - no information on whether we’ve reduced anything.” This person spent some moments 

talking about frustration related to this point. The person added, “we see statistics on families 

served, interviews conducted, etc. I want to see the number of arrests that have been made, 

injuries, calls for services, etc., after families are brought into DVERT - this is what I want to 

see ....... a month ago, I asked about this, and .... told that this informatioddata wasn’t 

there.” 

How violence has been reduced. Because of the high numbers of persons who qualified 

responses to the question about whether violence against women has been reduced as a result of 

DVERT, only seven of the interviewees described specific examples of how violence has been 

reduced. It was not appropriate to ask the other 12 respondents to respond. Even for those who 

did provide “specific examples,” these mirrored earlier comments for the most part - Le.,. that 

reduction was unmeasurable (at least at the time of the interview), that low recidivism whde being 

served under DVERT was a specific example, and that victim safety while being monitored under 

DVERT as active cases was another example. 

Challenges to reducing violence. When respondents indicated that they were either unsure 

about whether DVERT’s efforts have resulted in a reduction of violence, or that they felt that 

violence against women had not been reduced, a follow-up question was asked: “If not, what has 

worked against this reduction? Eleven interviewees were not asked this question or had no 

response. Of those who did, numerous isolated themes emerged, including: 

0 

0 The “educational piece” is missing - programming in schools or with adolescents, for 

There is a struggle with de-activating cases and long-term intervention; 

The limits of the Level I caseload and manpower restrictions associated with that; 

instance; .- 

0 

0 

0 Difficulty with measurement of violence reduction generally; 

0 Nature of the community: 

16 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
0 transient 

e people don’t want to be involved 

people don’t know what domestic violence is 

as an “expanding universe - new people all the time, constantly changing; 

‘0 people believe that domestic violence is family business 

0 

0 

0 Questions raised about identifying people (in reference to the most recent homicides); 

0 Issue of lethality - i.e., there are models “out there to use” but “no reliable, consistent 

criteria out there.... (I have) some professional objections and responsibilities related to this 

‘lethality’ labeling ...” 

In addition, interviewees offered some other provocative comments within the context of this 

question. These were related to such dilemmas and realities as: 

0 Once a case (“‘relationship” to DVERT) is over, one doesn’t know what happens in that 

situation - (we) “see them for a small amount of time;” 

Victims);” 

b There is the “potential for retaliation with increased bonds (perpetrators wanting to punish 

b “You can’t measure how many people didn’t get beaten up” as a result of DVERT; 

0 With children, increased awareness is leading to increased calls - how does one interpret 

the meaning of this in terms of reducing violence? 

0 

Interviewees were asked one final question specifically directed at serving women victims. 

Almost half of the interviewees responded with a general, positive response to this question 

without further qualification; three persons gave no response; and another four persons didn’t 

think DVERT has made an impact in other ways not already mentioned. 

Has DVERT made an impact on serving women in any way that hasn’t been mentioned? __ 

The four remaining respondents provided a variety of thoughts associated with DVERT’s impact 

on serving women with some persons identifying multiples ways in which an impact has been 

made. For all of the following, the number of responses ranged from one to three each: 

b 

.-. Providing help with relocation; 

0 Providing equipment and other resources to serve women better, such as: 

0 91 1 cell phones 

0 Pagers 

0 Services for children which, in turn, serve women victims 

17 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Providing taping and recording devices for victims; 

Enhancement or increase in procedures, which among other outcomes, can give women 

better sense of safety and protection, such as: . 

0 

Preparing women for court by District Attorney personnel 

Presence of police officer and advocate at court 

Increasing bonds for perpetrators, along with other means of intimidation 

Providing opportunities for victims to report violations 

Checking/following-up and repeated contacts with victims 

Increasing advocacy which, in turns, gives victims the sense that someone is “out 

there” for them 

Visibility of coordinatiodpartnerships between police officers and advocates for 

Victims 

Increasing services at the District Attorney’s level; 

Educating victims to help in the prosecution of cases (maintaining journals, for instance) 

and in understanding responsibilities to children; 

Better understanding by advocates; 

Making services more available - in outlying communities, for example; 

The “little things” - such as increased personalization of police. 

Finally, one respondent believes that DVERT has had some negative impact on serving women 

victims. This person described some of the repercussions that could arise with laws to charge 

women victims with DependencyMeglect if they do not protect their children from being exposed 

to domestic violence. From the respondent’s point of view, this kind of interpretation of the law 

on Dependencymeglect could inadvertently result in alignment of perpetrators and victims against 

the “system” - in this case, the system being the Department of Human Services. This person 

noted, also, that different persons working under the DVERT umbrella organization have distinct 

obligations. For the caseworker from the Department of Human Services, the primary obligation 

is the protection of children which could, in some cases, appear to be in opposition to the primary 

responsibility of an advocate. 

Interviewees were asked to consider the question of whether DVERT has made a difference in 

reducing violence against children, in addition to being asked about the impact of DVERT in 

decreasing violence toward adults. 

.^ 

Has violence against chiMren been reduced as a result of DVERT? This was a difficult 

question for interviewees. Half of the respondents believe either that DVERT has not resulted in 

decreased violence against children or do not know whether it has or not. Two persons did not 

answer this question. 

18 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Some of the respondents who felt unable to answer this question definitively did provide some 

follow-up thoughts for their responses. Their comments, albeit representing the views of a few 

single interviewees, focus on strengthening/increasing of servicedprogramr for children; increased 

vigilance over children in violent homes; and impact of interpretation of child-abuse laws for 

further protecting children from violence. In particular, these interviewees described: 

0 

0 Programs or services for children, such as DOVE, which are generally provided for 

children of victims participating in DVERT services (as either Level I or Level 11 clients); 

0 Similarities between children and women who are being monitored and assisted as Level I 

or Level II clients: i.e., children of these women would possibly or even quite probably 

benefit from experiencing less violence in their lives at least during the time of their parents’ 

involvement with DVERT 

0 Increased accountability within the DVERT caseload related to children. 

Interviewees who do perceive DVERT as having some role in reducing violence against children 

were asked to provide examples of how violence is reduced. 

Ten interviewees had nothing further to add to the general question. Of those offering examples, a 

few repeated thoughts conveyed earlier - Le., that violence couldwould be reduced for cases 

within DVERT. At least one person cautioned that this perception could not be applied to the 

“county overall,” however. Another indicated that violence against children would be the same as 

violence against women. This person elaborated that when police and DHS respond to violence 

against a spouse/partner, “it’s smart to pay attention to the children .... self-evident that it would go * down, too.” Among other examples were the following, expressed by single or a couple of 

respondents each: 

0 In terms of witnessing violence, violence has been reduced for children with increased 

involvement of social services (one person proclaimed that it may sound hard, but social 

services will, “yank the kids if she’s [the mother/victim] is not going to protect them”); 

0 In situations of domestic violence and its link with child abuse, along with change in law to 

include child abuse charges, it’s “easier to get [child-abuse] charges to stick - get that 

charge of child-abuse.” This logic and practice, then, will have the result of reducing 

violence for those children involved; 

0 Education of victims on the effects of witnessing violence by children; 

Time spent by caseworkers with children in developing safety plans for themselves; 0 

0 In a chain of events, the “just watching” by DVERT staff: “Mom encouraged to protect her 

children; Dad knows he’s not going to get away with it ... (I) imagine Mom’s possible 

abusive behavior [to children], because of her pressures, would also lighten up with 

DVERT.” (This person acknowledged that these views might differ from those of the 

“Coalition”); 

are present in the DVERT community, that community is far more aware of risks to 

children and DVERT can take a bow for that.” This person elaborates further that, for 

0 “Goes the same line” (as for reducing violence against women): “.... those families who 

19 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
some time, the two (adults and children) are “in concert.” Once the theme was there, 

everyone has picked up on it “...since around 1995 to today ... come a long way to putting 

the two together.” 

While considering questions/responses addressing violence and children, interviewees appeared to 

be more tentative, reflective, and perhaps less confident about how to respond. Thus, their 

thoughts were frequently qualified or supplemented by conditional phrases. Lack of quantitative 

evidence to support statements was voiced by at least one interviewee. The flavor of the responses 

is not unlike those related to questions about whether violence against women has been reduced as 

a result of DVERT. A prevailing theme embedded in responses is that these persons have not 

concentrated on the impact of DVERT in these terms because of concentration on the work at hand. 

Collaborations 

The last major theme addressed in interviews centered on inter-agency collaborations and the 

relationships among partner agencies. Questions focused on perceived number of partner agencies; 

role differentiation among partner agencies; conflict related to role differentiation; more general 

types of conflict among agencies; decision-making among partner agencies; and meetings and 

participation by partner agencies. 

Agency involvement in DVERT. Surprisingly, there was a lot of variation among 

interviewees on the perceived number of partner agencies involved in the DVERT project. (Partner 

agencies were generally depicted as those having signed Memoranda of Understanding with 

DVERT as opposed to agencies with informal collaborative arrangements.) Only one person gave 

a definitive/absolute number of partner agencies, and this person’s figure was “32.” Eight, or 

almost half of all interviewees estimated the number of partner agencies to be between 25 and 30. 

Two respondents estimated “much more than 15” or “between 20-30.” The remaining eight 

respondents believe the number of partners ranged from “around 20” to between 20 and 25. 

evoked considerable discussion. Responses were rarely cut and dried but moved from initial 

responses to fairly detailed examples and scenarios to supplement perceptions. Further, 

interviewees clearly differentiated among numerous ways for conceptualizing role differentiation 

and related conflicts. In general, they diligently separated the two ideas - differentiation and 

conflicts over differentiation. 

0 

Role diferentiation and conflicts associated with role differentiation. This pair of questions 

For instance, some interviewees examined role differentiation among what they referred to as core 

partner agencies staffed in DVERT offices. Others focused on role differentiation between 

partner agency staff housed in DVERT offices and their fellow agency peers in similar positions 

but housed at agency offices (caseworkers from Department of Human Services @HS) housed at 

DVERT versus caseworkers housed at DHS offices, for example). Still other individuals reflected 

on role differentiation as it relates to core partner agencies and other partner agencies (which they 

sometimes defined as part of their response). In thinking about conflicts over role differentiation, 

this pattern of reflection and response was very similar. 

Quantitatively, the majority of respondents believe that there is clear role differentiation among 

DVERT partner agencies. Twelve out of 19 respondents gave a positive answer to this question. 

Four respondents believe that differentiation is not clear or is confusing. Three were not sure 

whether role differentiation existed. Among the “short” responses to this question, interviewees 

nevertheless qualified their answers by sometimes emphasizing that role differentiation might be 

clear “outside DVERT” or confusing “inside DVERT” or that the question,.itself, was an 

20 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
interesting one. 

On the topic of conflict, the majority of respondents (13) again answered in the affirmative - that 

there are conflicts associated with role differentiation. Three indicated either that they don’t see this 

type of conflict or believed that there are not conflicts in this area. A few respondents either did 

not answer this question, responded either that there “can be” such conflicts, or didn’t know 

whether such conflicts exist. 

It is important to review and summarize elaborations of responses to these two questions which 

emerged in interviews. They bring to light a number of significant, provocative perspectives that 

are critical to understand in light of national emphasis on inter-agency collaboration and 

partnerships. Further, these elaborations bring to vivid light the diverse viewdperspectives of 

persons involved, even when they describe similar basic scenarios and situations. 

These responses are worth reporting as described because summarizing would dilute the rich 

character of comments-evoked. The list below captures respondents’ words verbatim to the extent 

possible from interview notes. Words in parentheses fill in gaps in words among interviews. 

Quotation marks are not included, for ease in reading: 

Role di~erentiatiodconf icts among partner agencies. 

There are partners with Memoranda of Understanding (agreements) at the top; but 

(they) may not know what’s going on with those on the bottom, those in the 

trenches, or they are not listening to those on the bottom; 

Everyone (is) afraid of losing their turf; 

e There are conflicts among roles: For example, social services may feel that children 

(There are) always conflicts over roles - for example, when to pull children.. And 

(I) think we work them out very well, no stabbing in the back, each understands 

need to be removed, and the Advocate is trying to give Mom another chance .... (there are) conflicts between the DA’s ofice with advocates, with social services ...; 

the (conflicts) between the advocates and DA’s (office) and DHS and law 

enforcement - not big conflicts though; 

each has a different role; 

e 

- 

e 

e (Collaboration) has taught me the role of others and becoming more educated on 

true role of the partners; 

Yeah, see (conflicts among) five main partners: DHS, CSPD, DA, Sheriff, and the 

Center .... on staff assigned, process, etc... ..see others (partners) not in real 

conflict; 

e Thinks there are misunderstandings over roles - each member is unsure, at times, 

of what the other cadcannot do. For example: 

0 Victims tell advocates something which leads to advocates telling officers 

that they “must arrest” and don’t understand what goes into an arrest, 

21 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
0 For an officer with child abuse: may tell a caseworker that the child must be 

taken out of a home and not understanding what must be involved for a 

child to be removed, 

e Just NOT KNOWING - this is what I’ve learned so much about - social 

services (for example) .... I have a whole different understanding of their 

work; 

e Absolutely (role differentiation). (We) never forget who we are... (staff) talk like 

an advocate; talk like a cop...;” 

0 Easiest conflicts are dealing with victims and kids: victims or protection of 

children .... cops thinking of arrest (in cases where, yes, she is a victim but a crime 

has been committed) or with prosecution ... here, we’re trying to evaluate that - 

“tiers of privilege” .... here, priority is safety/protection, not necessarily 

arrestlprosecution; 

differentiation) between caseworkers and CASA (both for children, and that could 

be a gray area); otherwise, roles are clear, 

caseworkers/DA: 

e Think so (that roles are differentiation) ... could be some (issues associated with 

e Yeah, def~tely between the main ones (partners): advocatedofficers, 

0 Same goals with different policies (for example, “pulling kids” or plans for 

Also, officers may not always believe what an advocate takes at face value, 

(There are) conflicts regarding factdopinions of the case, 

keeping kids in the home that could look like victim-blaming), 

e 

e 

e Generally, starting to understand (each other) in-house, 

Harder from the outside (co-workers) ..... from experience of working e 

together daily, makes it easier; 

e ..... Have to say that collaboration has been a huge legal problem (explaining that 

the deputy district attorney is now excluded from staffing meetings that hdshe was 

included in originally, and that this person no longer has access to files because, by 

doing so, the entire file could be tumed over in court hearings); 

e Yes, think so (that there is role differentiation) .... continue to be what were before 

the collaborations - expanded, mutated but primary mission remains the same... 

(And) yes (there are conflicts), particularly between advocacy and prosecution - 

conflicts there. Advocates encourage victims to use the system; ultimately, if the 

victim doesn’t want that, (advocates) don’t require it. Prosecution prosecutes 

individuals and will require victims’ participation even if the victim doesn’t want it 

(prosecution) ..... to a certain extent, there is an unwillingness to understand the 

other’s view; 

e Hardest in collaboration is information-sharing - very tricky, sharing in meetings, 

22 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
discoverable (exculpatory) evidence and the result is that the assistant district 

attorney (ADA) does not attend certain meetings .... the ADA knows that a file 

exists on victims at DVERT and acknowledges this, but not what is in the file, SO it 

can be opened, reviewed by a judge, and then a decision is made about whether to 

bring (information) into evidence; 

know what OUT roles are but (may have) a different knowledge, so we (advocates) 

may start talking like a cop or a cop may start “active listening” on an individual 

level, some crossing over.... everyone is attached to a parent agency but are 

isolated from it and being here, may start tallcindacting differently than staff at the 

parent agency. It’s almost like DVERT is its own agency now...; 

Yeah (conflicts over roles): (what) comes to mind (is) that there are two layers of 

partners - those with staff here - conflict over roles for them, but (not so much) 

for those who don’t have staff here ...; 

0 0 think roles are clear cut outside of DVERT. Think that within DVERT, we 

For example:.for staff here, there could be conflict over whose role it is to provide 

space (the building, phones, etc.) - more conflict over the role of DVERT than of 

the agencies’ roles; 

0 Yeah (conflicts over roles): The biggest is how structured everyone’s role is in 

Don’t know the division of power .... have looked for it - looked for power 

responding to domestic violence - perhaps (would be) faster if decentralized ... (it’s) frustrating, need more flexibility; 

struggles, turfdoms, haven’t seen (any) ... has to do with Howard’s leadership, 

who is a unique person ... 

(This person adds later): Ijust thought that partly a reason for no “in-fighting” 

might be that the playing field is level financially - everyone is here on a grant, has 

money, don’t have to ask, “is my agency going to get the dollars?” Maybe that’s a 

factor in cooperation, maybe money is a part of it; 

came to the table with.” Don’t see (conflicts among roles): people are really strong 

in their convictions, easily able to sit around the table and talk about ... early on, 

with roles, there was a fear of the unknown: for example, if an officer had to make 

an arrest, the caseworker might have felt that the advocate had to tell the victim that 

she was going to be arrested ... have found out that the advocate doesn’t need to do 

that; 

0 

0 Yes, clear each has a role - but also learn from each other but “keep the hat they 

0 Think so (conflict over roles): early on, with DA-role and representative from DA at 

DVERT, (there was) the question about whether that person would just prosecute 

DVERT cases or others. Also, CASA’s role at DVERT still struggling for that and 

have been for a long time. 

The thoughtful words expressed by interviews on the topic of role differentiation and conflict 

demonstrate both positive and challenging aspects and dimensions of collaboration. Most 

impressive is the thoughtfulness of interviewees as they reflect on the complex multi-agency model 

of DVERT and hard-core, “rubber meets the road” realities of true collaboration and partnering. 

23 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Conflicts among agencies. Beyond thinking about conflict associated with role 

differentiation, interviewees were asked to reflect on conflict more generally. Each interviewee 

was asked whether he/she perceive conflict among partner agencies. 

Respondents focused on a variety of avenues for addressing this question. Some gave a simple 

“yes/no/not sure” kind of response; others focused on specific topical areas where conflict arises; 

and still others addressed conflict within the context of collaboration and environmental factors 

associated with conflict. 

e I 

Interviewees sometimes gave multiple responses to this question. Four out of 19 interviewees 

either believe that there isn’t conflict among agencies, or they don’t think there is. A few 

respondents provided a more general view - Le., that conflict is a part of collaboration and 

compromise; that conflicts are addressed and resolved, which “speaks for the process,” and that 

conflict translates into “healthy debates.” Another interviewee spoke generally about partners “not 

(being) involved in decision-making” or that “things are too rigid.” 

The more informative responses were provided by interviewees who highlighted specific content 

areas that are prone to conflict. The majority of interviewees gave concrete examples of conflicts 

associated with particular issues. These run the gamut, fiom internal, organizational conflicts to 

external, inter-agency conflicts to conflicts between leadership style and staff. With one exception, 

however, areas identified below reflect the opinions of only one or two persons each. They 

include the following: 

e Turf or jurisdictional issues (mentioned by three interviewees); 

0 Definitional issues - specifically, what is meant by “lethality” and does it differ by agency c representatives or even over time within DVERT?; 

e 

e 

e 

e 

e 

e 

e 

e 

Decision-making among partners; 

Powedcontrol within DVERT (which is described as “ironic” given the focus 

of7philosophy on empowering victims of domestic violence); 

Flaws and inconsistencies within the judiciary; 

Establishment of in-house disciplinary policies and need not to violate policies of partner 

agencies; 

Variation among mindsets within DVERT for handling certain kinds of situations and 

cases; 

Personality issues; .- 

ProsecutoriaVDVERT issues associated with resources, education and training of assistant 

district attorneys, and policies; 

Tunnel vision of some agency representatives, resulting in “different solutions to the same 

problem;” 

e Some levels of disrespect, mistrust, or “back-biting;” 

24 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
0 Atmosphere (within DVERT) not always “positive.” 

Interviewees were then asked to respond to a two-part question related to decision-making. First, 

interviewees were asked whether they thought decisions were made easily. Second, they were 

asked to rank the level of ease with which decisions are made on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being 

‘(easy” and 1 being “difficult.” 

This question evoked varied responses. Several interviewees were confused by the way the 

question was worded. Many wanted further clarification - Le., what kinds of decisions? For 

them, different types of decisions were made more or less easily. 

In response to this confusion, this interviewer worked with one interviewee early in the interview 

schedule to identify categories of decision-making that were thought to be relevant. Three were 

identified: decisions associated with roles; decisions associated with cases; and decisions 

associated with policies. Within “case” decision-making, some interviewers distinguished 

decisions as either “majoi’ or minor.” This interviewer subsequently offered this differentiation to 

interviewees who demonstrated similar confusion and need for clarification. It was not offered for 

those who seemed comfortable answering the question as it was originally constructed. In 

retrospect, it would have been preferable to revise the question consistently for all subsequent 

interviews. 

At another level, some inteiviewees differentiated between decisions which are made internally or 

among partner agencies and those which comes from an outside, higher force - i.e., law or 

Colorado Springs Police Department, for instance. 

Interviewees also conceptualized “ease” in decision making very differently. For persons who 

perceive management/adrninistration and leadership as “unilateral,” they sometimes concluded that 

decisions are made easily because there is less discussiodinteraction associated with making them. 

Thus, a ranking of “10” needs to be interpreted in this context. 

a 

The degree of variation in interpretation associated with this question sheds light on the myriad 

dimensions of decision making, which could be useful in developing future questions on this 

topic. Responses are also useful for thinking about the whole concept of decision-making from the 

view of inter-agency partnerships. Some interviewees clearly believe that difficulty in making 

decisions among diverse agency partners is a clear indicator of viable collaboration. Thus, these 

persons would rank “decision-making” as difficult (or low) but view the low ranking as a positive 

- indicative of a strong, committed partnership. 

In contrast, some persons who believe that decisions are made at the top administrative level. 

conclude that decisions are made “easily” because they are determined by one person. These 

interviewees rank decision-making high, therefore, but suggest that partners may not have been 

involved or do not play a pivotal role. In this case, a high ranking has more of a negative 

connotation. 

Ease with which decisions are made. Aside from these general themes and patterns, there 

is no clear trend among interviewees’ views. The range of perceptions is quite broad with no clear 

majority or minority view. Examples of these diverse points of view and subsequent ranks, which 

demonstrate the points just made, follow. These examples are written as close as possible to the 

interviewees: wording, but, again, quotation marks are omitted for ease in reading: 

25 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
About a “4” because (we) are collaborating; can’tjust make a decision; 

Decisions are made unilaterally, because makes them. This is a problem because 

DVERT is supposed to be a team. Team decision-making is not happening. - asks for 

input but makes decisions ..... a “law enforcement” perspective. A “10;” 

Yes and no -but my sense is that regardless of how difficult (the process is), there is full 

support (for decisions). Sense (is) that there is good morale; see commitment to do the best 

we can. Sometimes “1;” sometimes “10.” Don’t think this is a good question - always 

somewhere in between - depends on the kind of decision, the particulars..,; 

Decision-making regarding how the unit is run is easy - lots of latitude - about a ‘7.” 

Decision-making from above is much more difficult (above our heads). For example, city 

police working in the county requires their being “commissioned” to do this - can’t get it 

resolved even though DVERT is cross-jurisdiction al...; 

Role decisions are made easily - “9;” case decisions are made easily - “10;” policy 

decisions (such as suggestions about the directions of DVERT) are more difficult because 

exploring unknown directions - more central core that makes those decisions; sometimes 

down to one person ( ) - about a “4,” hard to make; 

Case-related decisions: Major decisions are more difficult to make - “1-4;” case related 

decisions: Minor decisions are more easily made - “5-8;” policy related decisions: difficult 

(not personally involved but feel this way) - “2-3;” 

Feel that my opinion is valued; no matter what it’s about - paint on the wall or homicide. ’ 

Decisions for cases (are held) in a team environment; on-going; open or not, my opinion 

mattered. So, made decisions easier - therefore a “9.” Bigger ones are more difficult 

because there are more people to please - about a “6;“ 

Decisions are easy - a “10” ......( compares to decision-making within law enforcement as a 

point of reference); 

Definitely, none are made easily. Decisions about Level I, II, III - about a “4;” case 

management - about a ‘7;’ staffing decisions - about a “5;” ..... always by a group of 

people; 

Can’t speak to the current system (not currently involved). Historically, no, not made 

easily - people grapple - about a “4;” 

For me, decisions are made easily on progrdprocedures rather than those related to legal 

issuedboundaries (like legal issues that could be pending and would have an impact on 

Have a sense of more toward a “4” (on the difficult side). Attempt to integrate a law 

enforcement environment with a human services environment together - but have 

with a law enforcement background and clear chain of commands, and people struggle. 

People wait for approval.. .. needs to step back; let managers do what they need to 

do; 

what people caddo do); .- 

needs to delegate; there are a lot of people with great ideas. Need to release control. 

26 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
0 About a “7” (across the board). makes the final decisions. Rarely do I disagree - if 

I do, I understand.... a ‘7” comes from his leadership, communication skills, honesty. If a 

difficult decision has to be made or come to, is there to give direction - that’s why 

there is a sense of conviviality. It starts from the top. People know they can count on 

0 

0 Operations decisions - about a “8;” case management - about a ‘‘9r and decisions on a cae 

- about a ‘7F 

0 What kinds? Decisions ma& about the organization - made pretty easily; responsive to 

anything - about a “IO;” decisions about core issues for cases already in DVERT (are) a bit 

more difficult - go back and forth about it - about a “3;” staffing decisions at the table - 

difficult; trying to identify “lethal” families ...... about a “6;” 

change .... 0 No frrst-hand experience but guess would be about a “3” - group pretty resistant to 

Interviewees were asked to indicate how often their (representative) agency met with the others 

(partners). They frequently asked for clarification on this question as well. What is meant by 

“meeting” (informal versus formal gatherings)? What is meant by “others” (core, all partner 

agencies, etc.)? What level meetings (line staff versus administrators)? And so on. 

Frequency ofagency meetings with others. This question resulted in very mixed 

responses, not surprisingly. Depending on one’s own particular role with DVERT, and depending 

on whether an individual interviewee represented one of the “core” partner agencies (described by 

one person as the Center for Prevention of Domestic Violence, Department of Human Services, 

District Attorney’s Office, and CASA), then, individuals cited frequencies that varied from 

numerous times a day to weekly or monthly one on one or in group format. One person described a 

interactions among agency partners thus: 

“Different agencies interact constantly - always meeting, whole spark of the idea ... Inter-agency, 

excitement .... That’s the “Enhancement” part of the Response Team. 

More surprising, h-owever, was the range in responses associated with meetings for all partner 

agencies. Even when interviewees focused only on this group designation, estimated frequency 

of meeting varied tremendously, from: one time only; rarely, quarterly, biannually, at least once a 

year; or, “not aware of any such meetings.” In addition, several persons indicated that they are 

not privy to the number or frequency of meetings held. From these interviewees’ perspectives, a 

number of meetings could/are probably held among agency leaderdadministraton, but they would 

not necessarily be aware or informed on these meetings. 

Active participation in discussions by other agencies. Similar to the question about meeting 

frequency, interviewees varied substantially in their thoughts about active participation. Clearly, 

however, there is the vision of uneven participation and active involvement, depending on the 

status of a partner agency. Not surprisingly, those agencies with staff housed in DVERT offices 

are perceived to be more active participants in on-going discussions with other partners’ 

participation ebbing and flowing, depending on the issue at hand. As one person put it, “basically, 

those actively involved are a minute few of the 20-plus agencies .... and (I have) no idea (about full 

extent of meetingdparticipation) because DVERT staff go out to meetings (I am ) not aware of.” 

Another interviewee described agency partners as “not bashful” and eager to get into dialogues and 

discussions. A third described differences in opportunities to be involved, depending on the role 

- 

27 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
played by individual partner agencies. Finally, one person reflected on participation as 

“unilateral,” framed by administration with ‘‘little discussion about how things will be done.” e 

Suggestions for Improving the DVERT Project 

The final interview question related to ideas and suggestions for improving the DVERT Project. 

This question gave interviewees the unique opportunity, based on firsthand experience and 

knowledge, to brainstorm and be creative if all the “stops” could be pulled. Every person 

interviewed offered hisher own thoughts and suggestions about how the DVERT project might be 

improved.. Responses were provocative if not always, admittedly, realistic. 

The majority of suggestions fell under four general categories: policies and decision-making; 

services for victim; resources and manpower; training; and physical environment. Over 50 

specific suggestions were made by the 19 interviewees, with just under 40% of all suggestions 

falling under the category of policies and decision-making within DVERT. Most interviewees had 

more than one idea related to improving DVERT overall. Suggestions made within each of these 

general categories are described both quantitatively and qualitatively in the following paragraphs. 

Policies and decision-muking. Ideas in this category include numerous diverse suggestions 

which fall loosely four major themes: management and leadership, current and future directions, 

organizationdday-to-day issues and personnel matters. Often, interviewees supplemented their 

suggestions with explanatory comments to expand on proposals made: 

. 

0 Management and leadership: 

0 Fewer supervisors and channels, described as “micro-management” (interviewee 

explained that there are five supervisors for another 12 staff members and “two sets 

of bosses” [the partner agency “boss” and the DVERT “boss”]); 

Make Howard Black an “Administrator;” 0 

0 Need more “free flow interaction among staff at lower/street level, where people are 

Individuals like Howard Black -- a “big micro-manager but could lose something if 

most knowledgeable” (adding that DVERT is “too controlled at the top”); 

he weren’t;” 

0 

0 “Don’t let Howard get old;” 

0 Current and future directions: 

0 “Directions and policy decisions need to be expanded and not left to the core” 

Would be “good to see all coalition members set goals and directions, long-term; 

not just core and short-term goals” 

Continue to evolve in areas of communication 

.- 

0 

0 

0 Need to open up to “partners” - “for dialogue and less than a statement” 

0 Be cautioudcareful about adding new members (expressed in the negative: “[we] 

28 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
don’t necessarily want more agencies ..... Just brought in probation”) 

0 Refrain from adding more programs (also expressed in the negative: “[we] don’t 

need more programs, except for programs for children in schools”); 

0 Get the concept out to people; 

0 Some way to “perpetuate the idea - financially and ideologically;” 

0 Publicity and media visibility in the community (explains that the Chief of the 

Colorado Springs Police Department has not been in the DVERT facilities even 

though he received accepted an award given to DVERT some years ago); 

0 Decentralize Levels II and III with DVERT having only Level 1’s; 

0 Organizationdday-to-day issues: 

0 Quarterly meetings (which) would focus on those in attendance offering input (this 

interviewee perceives these meetings to be a good idea but that currently such 

meetings are “updatdstatus report meetings rather than inputhainstorming 

meetings”); 

0 Hold combined staff meetings (this interviewee explains that they are ‘‘a lot of 

DVERT meetings but not with staff from all agencies [there may be a DVERT 

person speaking at an agency or vice versa, but not all staff hearing/asking at 

once.... “Would get to know each other ... ‘7); 

0 Standardize thresholds for cases taken into DVERT and “focus on families who 

truly need it;” 

0 Personnel matters: 

0 Consistency among people in DVERT from different agencies associated with 

standards for pay, benefits, layoffs, etc. (this interviewee elaborates by saying that 

DVERT is in a financial crisis [at the the of the interviews] and that half of the 

DVERT staff are citylstate employees; half are non-profit employees). 

Services for victim. Another one-quarter of suggestions for improving DVERT are 

directly linked to services. Some persons focused on existing services -- how they could be 

enhanced, improved, or made more efficientleffective. Others focused on staff who provide 

services and how their procedures could change to improve services for victims. Still other 

interviewees looked toward new services or new linkages between existing services as means for 

improving services and, ultimately, DVERT. Specifically, interviewees suggested the following: 

0 Better response time; 

0 “Stepping up” investigations along with being more innovative and consistent in 

investigations; 

0 Developing more options -- “(to) keep that person on a voluntary basis, engage her in 

staying with DVERT..” (refening to a situation in which a woman wanted her case to be 

29 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
de-activated and it was, although the “dangef’ levels had not changed); 

sufficient; 

0 “Ways” to compeYengage cooperation of victims better to make them empowered and selfHave advocates go out on all domestic violence cases (not just the “on-call” team); 

Provide resources to victims, such as financial support and job skills, and other means to 

“remove the barriers to her so that she doesn’t have to stay in the situation..;.” 

Link services to TANF, 

Be less “scattered,” which results in being able to focus on the families; 

Continue to work as a unit on “how to best serve clients” (this person added that there is a 

“lot to leam in Level II and III cases”); 

More follow-up with cases brought into DVERT (this person added that “DHS always had 

the ability to compel people -- (DVERT ) not there -- DVERT back away from this...);” 

Clarification about follow-up on open cases (“What does it me an?”.... “Hear about 

More programs for children of victims. 

advocates calling a person in an open, Level I case once a month...”); 

Resources and manpower. About one-fourth of suggestions to improve DVERT focus 

on resources and manpower. In order to protect confidentiality of responses, some suggestions 

about resources are kept deliberately vague because the particular suggestion was intricately tied to 

roldfunction of individual interviewees. Further, some suggestions offered under this category 

were simply more general in nature than those offered in other categories. In general, we see 

interviewees differentiating between increase in resources generally that could result in improving 

DVERT and perceptions about resource distribution. The following are examples of suggestions 

made under this category: 

0 

More rnanpower/staff generally; 

’ Larger staff for the larger number of cases; 

More resources -- especially for Level II cases (“.... Getting really hard and staff are 

stretched thin”); 

0 More equal financial partners (Comparing, for example, Colorado Springs Police Department and the Center); .- 

More hospital outreach (identified as currently lacking, due to not having “had resources to 

do that”); 

More personnel: including district attorneys, advocates, detectives, cops (including one 

interviewee’s commentary about the “mismatch between the number of advocates and 

number of detectives,” describing DVERT as having “four detectives assigned but Howard 

Black doesn’t take cases.. . versus nine advocates with four having big caseloads...”); 

30 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
e Get more funding (with money “for a building” mentioned by one person specifically); 

e Get support from county and city governments; 

e Get partner agencies to “support the process” (interpreted as financial support, since this 

person added “the money DVERT has won’t last forevei‘); 

Training. Training represented about 10% of all suggestions offered as a means for 

improving DVERT. Each suggestion under this category addressed a unique dimension of 

training, as indicated below: 

e On-going training; 

e More local training at the local community level - Le., including law enforcement, 

schools, and professors; 

e Training within the state of Colorado; 

More “global” training among “all agencies ”.... “meat of the agency, cross-training...;” 

National training “in collaboration” (this interviewee explains that with “multi-media 

e 

e 

stuff .... we’re learning as we go ... we’ve been at it longer than others ... want to share this 

so as not to re-invent the wheel....”); 

e Need to expandchange training to others who come in for site visits and nationally - “no 

more ‘DV 101’ -- need ‘201,’ ‘301’ -- tracks for persons who’ve done it for some time and a who’ve had the basics.” 

PhysicaZ environment. Finally, the remaining few suggestions made by interviewees 

addressed space and provisions. Suggestions pointed toward challenges faced by staff working 

under tight physical constraints and how DVERT could be improved in these areas: 

0 Office space which is comfortable (mentioned by two interviewees with one adding that 

with “nice” space “twice what we have .... attitude and morale, though good, would be 

significantly improved...);” 

e Phone systendsharing - (“the most serious problem we face” according to one of three 

persons who identified this area; another person described the current situation as a 

“standing in line” problem -- explaining ‘that at one point five staff members were sharing 

,the same phone); 

e A permanent building. .- 

Suggestions made by interviewees reveal great insight and thoughtfulness regarding the myriad, 

complex dimensions of DVERT. They underscore on-going challenges to meet the needs of 

victims and then share ever-increasing expertise outside the realm of DVERT. They also highlight 

the realities of need associated with workplace environment and financial security. Perhaps most 

profound, however, are the suggestions which illustrate so poignantly the huge task of bringing 

diverse partners together to implement a true, collaborative, coordinated response to a common 

problem of immense proportions. 

31 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.
Concluding Thoughts 

The preceding summary of findings depicts mere highlights €?om approximately 20 hours of 

personal interviews. As consultant who was privileged to conduct these interviews, I was deeply 

impressed with the time and thoughtfulness given to all queries, and to the frank discussions that 

ensued. These characteristics assured me that interviewees both trusted me and are 

committeddedicated to the work they do with DVERT. 

The diverse and vast number of themes emerging from responses to questions cannot easily be 

summed up here but, hopefully, are set forth within the body of this report in such a way as to 

encourage further digestion, reflection, and dialogue. Overall, however, I am struck by the 

breadth and levels of perspectives which emerged from interviews - from the most mundane, dayto-day grinds that any organizatiodproject faces but which are multiplied many times in DVERT to 

the most sophisticated dynamics of policy-making within such a complex multi-agency setting. 

I feel confident that the time spent by these 19 individuals, all of whom have precious little time to 

give, will reap rewards from the unique contributions they have made in this component of the 

evaluation project. 

PROPERTY OF 

Natisnd Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) 

Box 6000 

So&vil!e, MD 20849-6000 

32 

This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report 

has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those 

of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the

U.S. Department of Justice.