Resources for Legal & Law Enforcement Professionals

The role of law enforcement in criminal cases involving victims of abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence cannot be emphazised more strongly. You may not be the first lifeline sought by a victim - but you are likely to be one of the most important. Not only are domestic violence calls one of the most dangerous for the safety of law enforcement personnel, they are also one of the most emotionally stressful - both for the officer and for the victim. For officers, dealing with victims of domestic violence often means being subjected to persons dealing with physical injury, terror, and anger - feelings which often get directed not at the abuser, but at the officer trying to provide assistance. This is especially true in cases where an abuser is arrested against the wishes of the victim as is often the case. Victims often want law enforcement to "break it up" or "make them be nicer to me" - not understanding the role and responsibilities of the law enforcement community - and often not appreciating the gravity and tendency for violence when abusive relationships go unchecked. For law enforcement officers responding to victims of sexual assault - similar tendencies exist which pit the responsibilities of the investigation with the wishes and needs of the victim. Not only is the victim dealing the physical consequences of their assault, but also the emotional turmoil, feelings of embarassment, displaced guilt and the fear of labeling and retelling the details time and again during the course of the investigation and possible prosecution. We hope that the materials in this section will help law enforcement personnel to better understand the needs of the victims they may encounter while expanding and reinforcing the need to protect and ways in which this can be accomplished. Bringing Victims into Community Policing 2002 Publication from the Dept. of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing and the National Center for Victims of Crime. Establishing Victim Services Within a Law Enforcement Agency: The Austin Experience (PDF) This bulletin describes the benefits to both victims and law enforcement for having victim assistance staff incorporated within law enforcement. Relevant to both police and sheriff’s departments, this bulletin uses an actual case handled by the Austin (Texas) Police Department to illustrate how victim assistance staff function on the law enforcement team. It also recounts how Austin went about establishing and funding its first full-time victim assistance coordinator position, and how victim services grew from a one-person operation to its present four-unit Victim Services Division. First Response to Victims of Crime 2001 publication by the National Sheriffs' Association First Response to Victims of Crime Who Have a Disability 2002 Handbook for Law Enforcement Officers on How To Approach and Help Crime Victims Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease, Mental Illness, Mental Retardation, Or Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, Deaf or Hard of Hearing.