NCJ Number
100950
Date Published
1986
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A 1985 survey of police departments in 173 cities over 100,000 population shows a sharp increase in the number of departments with a policy of arrest in domestic violence calls, as well as an increase in the number of domestic violence arrests compared to a similar 1984 survey.
Abstract
Twenty-seven percent of the departments reported an arrest policy, 47 percent had a policy of officer discretion, 17 percent had a mediation policy, and 6 percent advocated sending the suspect from the scene. The percentage of agencies reporting more arrests for domestic violence increased from 24 percent in 1984 to 35 percent in 1985. Factors contributing to this increase in arrest policies and actual arrests were the Minneapolis experiment, which demonstrated the effectiveness of arrest compared to other policies for dealing with domestic violence; the 1984 report of the U.S. Attorney General's Task Force on Family Violence, which prefers an arrest policy in family violence cases; State law changes; several major media events; and several relevant, widely publicized lawsuits. The significant policy impact of the Minneapolis experiment is particularly notable. A number of cities are willing to replicate this experiment, which should further add to a scientific understanding of the effectiveness of various police responses to domestic violence. Graphic and tabular data, 4 references.