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The Orlando Police Department Domestic Violence Initiative
Greetings:
We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest regarding the
Orlando Police Department's (OPD) Domestic Violence Initiative. We continue to
collaborate and partner with the community in an effort to impact domestic
violence.
OPD/Patrol Component
Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) is a specialized group of patrol officers
that have volunteered and have been selected to participate as trainers with
expertise in domestic violence and stalking cases. Ideally there is a
representative from every watch and sector of the city on the team. These
officers receive additional training on domestic violence issues and are a
resource to fellow officers. The Assault and Battery supervisor in CID is the
designated Team coordinator and the lieutenant in the Violent Crimes Section is
the assigned Team Commander.
Patrol officers on the team aggressively respond to and prevent domestic violence
in their neighborhoods by taking enforcement action, obtaining arrest warrants,
and assisting fellow officers. DVRT members also respond to calls for service as
their regular duties.
DV Pamphlets
Officers have been supplied with revised domestic violence pamphlets which
include the most current resources and services available to victims. The
pamphlets are now available in English, Spanish, and Creole.
CID Component
Assault and Battery detectives conduct follow up and proactively identify and
obtain warrants on suspects of domestic violence. The detectives work closely
with the State Attorney's Office to ensure all documents are submitted for
successful prosecution. The detectives are also members of the DVRT.
Fugitive Investigative Unit
All violent crime warrants are given to the Fugitive Investigative Unit who
utilize current technology to ferret out and apprehend DV offenders on a daily
basis.
Harbor House of Central Florida Component
OPD has partnered with the local domestic violence center; Harbor House to
ensure cases are followed up relentlessly. In January 2008, Harbor House of
Central Florida created INVESTeam (INtimate Violence Enhanced Services Team).
The INVESTeam goal is to identify and intervene in the most lethal domestic
violence cases in Central Florida. Harbor House of Central Florida has assigned
a DV liaison in CID to work with the detectives to further impact all DV cases.
Harbor House 24-hour Hotline:
1-800-500-1119
Domestic Violence Assessment Checklist
The Domestic
Violence Assessment Checklist was created to identify circumstances when a
victim is most vulnerable in order to provide safety planning or intervention.
Officer training is essential to the success of this checklist. The Domestic
Violence Assessment Checklist is a set of 22 questions designed to identify risk
factors and obtain crucial information on the victim and the history of the
domestic relationship. The patrol officer will use this form, which is mandatory
for domestic/ intimate partner violence calls. The form is then forwarded to the
Criminal Investigations Division, where the detectives of the Assault and
Battery Unit review them. The victims that answered yes to any of the questions
in bold (2 through 5) will be an automatic referral to INVESTeam. Several “yes”
answers in the remaining questions may indicate that the violence is escalating
to lethality and INVESTeam may contact them. A “yes” answer to these questions
can also give cause to the patrol officer to obtain a warrant for arrest,
instead of filing the case with the State Attorney’s office. INVESTeam provides
services to the victims in the form of immediate response, case management,
education on domestic violence, safety planning, individual/group counseling,
referral information on community resources, crisis intervention, advocacy in
the judicial system, and emergency shelter services.
Domestic/Dating Violence Worksheet
The
Domestic/Dating Violence Worksheet will provide both OPD and the State
Attorney's Office a comprehensive list of documents required for successful
arrest and prosecution of all Domestic/Dating Violence cases. The form will be
included in the arrest/charging package that goes to the State Attorney's
Office.
Sexual Assault Hotline
To reach the Sexual Assault Hotline, please call 407-497-6701. |
