“Domestic disturbance calls can be a suicide mission for cops. Violent couples are NUTS!”
When Officers Die: Understanding Deadly Domestic Violence Calls for Service
By Shannon Meyer, PhD, Victim Specialist, Seattle Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Randall H. Carroll, Chief of Police (Retired), Bellingham, Washington, Police Department and President, Profectus Consulting
Between 1996 and 2009, 771 law enforcement officers were murdered in the line of duty. Law enforcement is a profession fraught with danger. The perils of policing are a day-to-day reality for officers and a topic that deeply concerns law enforcement executives. Reducing the risk faced by officers was a primary focus during the recent tenure of the IACP Immediate Past President Michael J. Carroll and is an issue that remains a priority for the IACP. While all policing activities involve a degree of risk, particular attention has been paid to the dangers of domestic violence calls for service.
Interesting, but I believe missing a bit of data. I notice no pie chart or discussion in the text for the percentage of police responses being for domestic violence out of all police responses.
I would not separate incidents the same way this study did, in that two brothers, or offspring on parents, any relatives that spend a lot of time together, etc. or even long time neighbors get into it. That’s domestic violence to me, usually involving people drinking alcohol and who are or were close to each other.
I also personally see the need for data to account for the fact that the same people have these visits from the police over and over again until something really bad happens. Then again I suppose that goes for all sorts of crime, but I think it is an important factor.
The numbers of 14% of officers KIA happened during domestic violence responses is still ominous. Before I would concede, I want more data.
Thank you, and thanks in advance.