By Marie P. Defina and Leonard Wetherbee Law enforcement and social service agencies can work together to provide a and wide range of timely services to victims of domestic violence. Ms. Defina founded the Domestic Violence Training and Resource Institute, in Concord, Massachusetts, and now serves as its executive director. Chief Wetherbee commands the Concord, Massachusetts, Police Department.
Domestic disturbances generate some of the most frustrating calls for police officers.
Such calls often are repetitious as officers respond to the same homes over and over, take up valuable time that could be spent on other investigative matters, and frequently produce no legal action against offenders. Under the revised law, officers no longer are restricted to mediating a volatile situation or merely walking the perpetrator around to cool off. Now, officers may arrest a battering spouse on probable cause. Other legislative mandates have enhanced law enforcement's efforts to thwart domestic violence. And, even though the number of arrests for domestic violence increased, the number of repeat offenses did not decrease as hoped.