Local training effort seeks to reduce domestic-violence-related homicides
CLEVELAND -- In the wake of the racial justice protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd, there have been mounting calls for programs dedicated to de-escalating encounters between the police and civilians.
Across the country, we are seeing a range of possible enhancements to traditional policing and the training of police. Here in Northeast Ohio, we’re taking a new approach in addressing domestic-violence response by police. This initiative illustrates how enhancements in police training can go a long way in increasing support and safety for victims of domestic violence.
Since 2016, Journey Center for Safety and Healing has partnered with Cuyahoga County to train nearly 1,000 police officers in the Danger Assessment for Law Enforcement (DA-LE) initiative. This evidence-based screening tool is administered at the scene of domestic-violence calls, and results supplement the standard police report.
The tool allows police officers to more objectively determine cases of suspected domestic violence that are most likely to escalate into deadly violence, and to channel these perpetrators and victims to the appropriate community resources. It also better informs prosecutors and judges in cases that are subsequently prosecuted.
Why is this so urgent? A 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Justice noted that domestic disputes constitute the largest single category of calls to police in this country — in some cases accounting for as much as half of all calls.
Communities of color are at highest risk. Black women are murdered by men -- most often their intimate partner -- at a rate 2.5 times higher than white women, according to a 2013 study. And a shocking 61% of all homicides of Hispanic women from 2003 to 2014 were caused by intimate-partner domestic violence, a 2017 study found.
The statistics in Ohio tell a similarly depressing story. Throughout COVID, domestic violence has escalated both in frequency and severity. The Ohio Domestic Violence Network reported that the state has experienced a 62% increase in fatalities from domestic violence over the past two years.
Providing expertise on issues surrounding domestic violence, Journey works with police and court systems across the county to advocate for victims of domestic violence.
This assessment approach includes a more comprehensive set of best practices for addressing domestic-violence offenders across the entire court system. The results thus far are promising.
Through the first three years of operation under the new protocols, Cleveland Police Districts 1 and 5 witnessed a 62% drop in homicides from intimate partners. When surveyed, 70% of officers who had undergone the training reported feeling that they were helping victims by administering the danger assessment.
We hope these kinds of outcomes will encourage other police departments to reach out to Journey for this initiative.
Melissa Graves is CEO of Journey Center for Safety and Healing. (Photo by Carli Cichocki)
Gregory Drew, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police lieutenant, stated “The DA-LE is another best practice to provide another piece of support to our residents who are victims of domestic violence. It was a no-brainer when Journey Center and Witness Victim Service Center approached us and asked if we’d be interested in this. I told my colleagues it was one of the best training sessions that I have ever experienced, and I’ve been in law enforcement for 25 years.”
Unfortunately, these efforts are taking place amid a backdrop of financial challenges. Federal reductions in funding for the landmark Victims of Crime Act resulted in $1.4 million being eliminated from Journey’s services. This comes at a time when we need more support for victims of abuse, not less.
As a region, we can do better. Journey remains committed to continuing to improve our community’s domestic violence response, to catalyze greater overall equity and safety.