Family Violence Prevention and Recovery Project

There exists a growing body of research indicating that domestic violence in law enforcement families is a significant and ongoing problem. Recent changes to federal laws affect whether a law enforcement agency can continue to employ an officer in a sworn capacity if he/she has been convicted of a family/domestic violence related crime. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department in a historic move, committed itself to the development and implementation of a comprehensive program to educate, train, and when necessary treat, its sworn and civilian personnel and their family members regarding the problem of family violence.

The Department believed that a multi-dimensional approach was necessary. Emphasis was placed on positively impacting the sense of safety, security and quality of life of the families of department personnel as well as the manner in which law enforcement personnel responded to family violence incidents in the community. Law enforcement personnel may be required to handle family violence calls that are very similar to problems they may be experiencing at home.

Consequently, the department was concerned that such problems in the home could affect how an individual may handle family violence calls in the community. Conversely, the serious problems associated with handling family violence calls in the community can not only jeopardize the safety of law enforcement personnel, but may also have an adverse effect on the quality of an officer’s own family life.

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http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/185891.pdf