As a symbolic matter, the prospect of losing one's gun is highly charged, and often cited as a major reason officers may not willingly seek assistance for the high incidence of stress-related difficulties police face. As we go to press, Congressional hearings on the ban begin either March 5 or 6 in the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on crime. When the 105th Congress reconvened on January 7, the first proposals to amend the ban were ready. Some local police unions have filed injunctions to halt its enforcement pending judicial review. Overall, current and former male partners commit over a million violent crimes against women yearly, including assault, rape and murder.
Some statistics especially suggest a complex and problematic relationship of police to battering.
Domestic violence is one of the largest categories of calls to police. In some places, police spend a third of their time on these incidents. But police are more likely to make formal reports when the victim doesn't know the offender. Nationally, police response time to stranger assaults is under five minutes, but averages an hour for domestic disputes. Yet the great majority of domestic violence injuries are rated misdemeanors in most states.