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Addressing the scourge of domestic violence - NSW Police Force

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BEHIND<br />

CLOSED DOO<br />

Working to address<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>scourge</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>domestic</strong> <strong>violence</strong><br />

STORY BROOKE EGGLETON<br />

RADIO OPERATIONS GROUP<br />

PHOTO REUBEN ENNOR<br />

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS UNIT<br />

Over <strong>the</strong> last decade, reports <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>domestic</strong> and family <strong>violence</strong><br />

have consistently increased as <strong>the</strong><br />

community recognises that it’s no<br />

longer a ‘private’ matter.<br />

Domestic <strong>violence</strong> involves<br />

behaviour that ranges from emotional<br />

abuse, intimidation, physical abuse<br />

and at an escalated level violent<br />

attacks.<br />

Senior Programs Officer for <strong>the</strong><br />

Domestic & Family Violence Team,<br />

Robyn Auld said it’s a basic human<br />

right that people should have shelter,<br />

be safe in <strong>the</strong>ir own home and live<br />

free from <strong>violence</strong>.<br />

“The community has become<br />

less tolerant over time to <strong>the</strong> use<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>violence</strong> as a means to resolve<br />

conflict,” she said.<br />

<strong>NSW</strong>PF Spokesperson for Domestic<br />

& Family Violence, Assistant<br />

Commissioner Mark Murdoch<br />

said police are actively involved<br />

in providing support and referral<br />

for victims through collaborative<br />

14 <strong>Police</strong>Monthly MAY 2013


ABOVE Mt Druitt LAC’s Domestic & Family Violence Liaison<br />

Officers, Snr Cst Brian Johnson and Sgt David McInerney<br />

working relationships with a range<br />

<strong>of</strong> government and non-government<br />

agencies.<br />

The DVLO – who is assigned<br />

in each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 80 LACs in <strong>NSW</strong> –<br />

performs a key role in making this<br />

effective collaboration possible.<br />

Mount Druitt DVLO Coordinator<br />

Sgt David McInerney said <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong><br />

DVLO has a strong focus on<br />

<strong>the</strong> victim.<br />

“We make sure <strong>the</strong> victim<br />

understands what might be required<br />

through <strong>the</strong> court system, we also<br />

put <strong>the</strong>m in contact with various<br />

support services and we do a lot <strong>of</strong><br />

victim follow up,” he said.<br />

Sgt McInerney said that working<br />

with victims can however prove<br />

challenging for a number <strong>of</strong> reasons.<br />

“We have victims who are too<br />

scared to give a statement or<br />

take action, are caught up in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

relationship bond, sometimes it’s a<br />

financial factor,” he said. “O<strong>the</strong>rs are<br />

caught in <strong>the</strong> cycle <strong>of</strong> <strong>violence</strong> and<br />

some victims have ei<strong>the</strong>r a dislike or<br />

cultural fear <strong>of</strong> police.<br />

RS<br />

“Culturally speaking <strong>the</strong> fear<br />

is <strong>the</strong>re from a different country<br />

where <strong>the</strong> police were seen as<br />

an enforcement agency for <strong>the</strong><br />

government in a corrupt or violent<br />

way,” he said.<br />

Sgt McInerney said to address<br />

<strong>the</strong>se issues DVLOs work with<br />

external agencies that provide victim<br />

support in different ways.<br />

The Women’s Domestic Violence<br />

Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS)<br />

for example help female victims<br />

and defendants through <strong>the</strong> court<br />

process in explaining how <strong>the</strong> judicial<br />

system works and what power<br />

protection orders have.<br />

Sgt McInerney said Staying Home<br />

Leaving Violence (SHLV) is ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

fantastic resource that is <strong>of</strong> great<br />

benefit to victims <strong>of</strong> <strong>domestic</strong><br />

<strong>violence</strong>.<br />

“They can provide support by<br />

helping <strong>the</strong> victim stay at home and<br />

within <strong>the</strong>ir own community,” he<br />

said. “It means <strong>the</strong> family doesn’t<br />

have to uproot <strong>the</strong>ir lives and change<br />

everything because <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fender has<br />

done <strong>the</strong> wrong thing.”<br />

Sgt McInerney said SHLV can<br />

provide personal protection alarms,<br />

back to base alarm systems and<br />

motion detecting cameras that help<br />

<strong>the</strong> victim feel safe and secure.<br />

While DVLOs are victim orientated<br />

<strong>the</strong>y are also sometimes involved<br />

in programs – like <strong>the</strong> Pacific Island<br />

Perpetrator Program that’s managed<br />

by Mount Druitt Probation & Parole<br />

– that aim to stem <strong>the</strong> likelihood <strong>of</strong><br />

repeat <strong>of</strong>fenders.<br />

Mount Druitt DVLO Snr Cst Brian<br />

Johnson has been involved in <strong>the</strong><br />

program for <strong>the</strong> last three years and<br />

said it’s managed like an open forum<br />

where participants can ask questions<br />

and clarify issues.<br />

“Probation & Parole is a really good<br />

partner agency and I think <strong>the</strong>y are<br />

really proactive in trying to achieve<br />

things,” he said.<br />

DVLOs also develop strategies that<br />

target HROs and <strong>of</strong>ten work with<br />

DVOs in carrying out compliance<br />

operations that monitor AVOs as well<br />

as bail conditions.<br />

Sgt McInerney said <strong>of</strong>fender letters<br />

can also be utilised in making <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong>fender aware that <strong>the</strong>y’re being<br />

proactively targeted, not only for<br />

<strong>domestic</strong> <strong>violence</strong> related <strong>of</strong>fences<br />

but any form <strong>of</strong> criminal behaviour.<br />

“We also focus on consistent victim<br />

follow up in <strong>the</strong>se instances,” he said.<br />

“It becomes more <strong>of</strong> a managed case<br />

basically – with <strong>the</strong> victim and<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fender.”<br />

LACs are also involved in event<br />

programs that target younger<br />

demographics, which focus on<br />

breaking <strong>the</strong> intergenerational cycle<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>domestic</strong> <strong>violence</strong>.<br />

Walgett LAC in conjunction with<br />

Mission Australia, Walgett Aboriginal<br />

Medical Service and o<strong>the</strong>r local<br />

groups hold ‘Boys Day Out’ and ‘Girls<br />

Night In’ events where teenagers can<br />

discuss relationships, <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong><br />

drug and alcohol abuse and learn<br />

what resources are available to <strong>the</strong>m<br />

in <strong>the</strong>ir community.<br />

DVLO Coordinator for Domestic<br />

& Family Violence Team, Leah<br />

Archer said that breaking <strong>the</strong> cycle<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>violence</strong> is always a difficult<br />

challenge.<br />

“As soon as kids realise that<br />

<strong>domestic</strong> <strong>violence</strong> is not acceptable,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y’re less likely to commit it,”<br />

she said.<br />

One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most complex<br />

responsibilities <strong>of</strong> DVLOs is <strong>the</strong> role<br />

<strong>the</strong>y play in attending court.<br />

This involves speaking with victims<br />

and <strong>of</strong>fenders, obtaining instructions<br />

on court proceedings and ensuring<br />

that orders and applications are<br />

properly completed and served.<br />

Snr Cst Johnson said everyone<br />

has a purpose and a role at court<br />

despite <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong>y’re all<br />

ultimately working toward <strong>the</strong> same<br />

common good.<br />

“As police we are incident driven<br />

and based around <strong>the</strong> law and our<br />

prosecutors work along <strong>the</strong><br />

same vain.”<br />

“Court advocacy groups take a<br />

more holistic approach in managing<br />

cases, and legal aid are very<br />

defendant based so <strong>the</strong>ir aim is to<br />

get <strong>the</strong> best result for <strong>the</strong> defendant,”<br />

he said.<br />

Ms Auld said <strong>the</strong> judicial system<br />

can also prove trying for DVLOs<br />

when <strong>of</strong>fenders are given perceivably<br />

lenient sentences.<br />

“That is quite difficult for police as<br />

<strong>the</strong>y do all <strong>the</strong> leg work in attending<br />

a <strong>domestic</strong> <strong>violence</strong> incident, <strong>the</strong>y<br />

do <strong>the</strong> investigation, take photos and<br />

victim statements and attend court,”<br />

she said. “But sometimes from <strong>the</strong><br />

police perspective that doesn’t seem<br />

to pay <strong>of</strong>f.”<br />

DVLOs also work with GDs in<br />

reviewing <strong>domestic</strong> and family<br />

<strong>violence</strong> reports and cases and<br />

carrying out follow up visits with<br />

victims when necessary.<br />

Sgt McInerney said <strong>the</strong> GDs<br />

manage <strong>the</strong> initial <strong>domestic</strong> incident<br />

in attending <strong>the</strong> scene, taking<br />

statements, arresting <strong>of</strong>fenders and<br />

applying for an AVO.<br />

Sgt McInerney said <strong>the</strong> DVLO in<br />

turns acts as an oversight body in<br />

ensuring <strong>the</strong> incidents are responded<br />

to correctly – which is informed by<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir specialist knowledge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> area<br />

regarding SOPs for instance.<br />

“We’re trying to help GDs, not<br />

hinder <strong>the</strong>m,” he said. “Making sure<br />

that everything is done correctly is<br />

part <strong>of</strong> our job and if we can help<br />

everyone with that as in <strong>the</strong> victim,<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fender and police, <strong>the</strong>n we’ve<br />

done our job.”<br />

Ms Auld said <strong>the</strong>re’s a lot more<br />

resources, skills, training and<br />

knowledge available to support<br />

police now to carry out proactive<br />

investigations and prosecutions to<br />

ideally achieve better court results.<br />

“We’re lucky to have so many<br />

passionate DVLOs,” she said. “They’re<br />

dealing with victims who may be<br />

crying, angry, scared – <strong>the</strong> whole<br />

range <strong>of</strong> emotions – and <strong>the</strong>y have to<br />

find a way to connect with <strong>the</strong>m.”<br />

“It’s a credit to <strong>the</strong>m – regardless<br />

<strong>of</strong> how long <strong>the</strong>y work in <strong>the</strong> role –<br />

as it’s a highly emotive, volatile and<br />

dangerous area <strong>of</strong> work and <strong>the</strong>y<br />

achieve great results.”<br />

MAY 2013 <strong>Police</strong>Monthly 15

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