NCJ Number
171055
Date Published
1997
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The impact of victim preferences on the police decision to arrest in cases of domestic assault was studied using data from four police precincts in Detroit.
Abstract
Detroit was selected because of the authors' past research with the Detroit Police Department and the agency's commitment to handling domestic violence incidents appropriately. The research gathered information from approximately 165 Supplemental Arrest Reports completed by police, plus follow-up interviews of 90 randomly selected victims. The interviews attempted to determine the accuracy of the police reports and to obtain the victim's perspective about the dynamics of the domestic violence incident, the police-citizen encounter, and the recurrence of violence. Results of the police questionnaires revealed a somewhat complex pattern of factors that were correlated with decisions regarding arrest. The three main determinants appeared to be the presence of others at the crime scene, whether the victim lived with the offender, and the victim's preference. In addition, the injury seriousness definitely affected the decision to arrest, but in a nonlinear manner. Most of the victims were satisfied with the police response. The aspect that most satisfied the victims was that the police responded in accordance. None of the 12 male victims was satisfied; this finding suggested some differential handling by officers. Findings suggested that police should increase their responsiveness to the desires of victims. Further research is also recommended. Tables and 20 references