Addressing the scourge of domestic violence - NSW Police Force
Addressing the scourge of domestic violence - NSW Police Force
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