Layers of Meaning: Domestic Violence and Law Enforcement Attitudes in Arizona

• NCJ Number: 212533
• Author(s): Richard Toon Ph.D.; Bill Hart
• Date Published: December 2005
• Length: 72 pages
• Grant Number(s): 04-WF-AX-0034; 2003-VA-GX-0018
• Contract Number(s): 2005-015
• Sponsoring Agency: Arizona Dept of Public Safety; Office for Victims of Crime (OVC); US Dept of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women; Arizona Peace Officer Standards & Training Board; Arizona Governor's Cmssn to Prevent Violence Against Women
• Corporate Author: Morrison Institute for Public Policy
• Sale Source: Morrison Institute for Public Policy
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey; Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This report presents findings from a survey of and interviews with Arizona law enforcement officers regarding their attitudes toward domestic violence and law enforcement policies in responding to it.

Abstract

Arizona has "criminalized" domestic violence by adopting laws and policies that bolster law enforcement officers' arrest powers and require them to arrest suspects under certain circumstances. In 2005, 777 law enforcement officers completed confidential questionnaires regarding domestic violence issues, and 31 individual interviews were conducted with detectives, supervisors, and other domestic-violence experts throughout the State. The study found that the vast majority of Arizona officers viewed domestic violence as a serious, underreported crime that generates other crime and violence. Across the State, officers reported mixed support for the State's "proarrest" policy. There was no consensus on whether or not arresting batterers is an effective deterrent to domestic violence. Although officers generally sympathized with the plights of victims of domestic violence, 72 percent of the officers believed that many domestic violence victims choose to remain in the abusive relationship rather than pursue efforts to leave the relationship. Most officers felt that prosecutorial follow-up on domestic violence cases was weak and ineffective. Further, most officers wanted more discretion and fewer guidelines from supervisors regarding how to handle domestic violence calls. Respondents were split over whether more training is required. Based on its findings, this study recommends more domestic violence training for officers, the strengthening of community efforts to prevent domestic violence, the strengthening of the State's criminal justice response to domestic violence, a mapping of key decision points for domestic violence cases, and a review of how the prosecution functions in such cases. 10 tables, 31 figures, 21 references, and appended survey and interview instruments