Police Officer Frustrations about Handling Domestic Violence Calls

Abstract

Police officers have reported that their work is often stressful and responding to domestic violence calls is often viewed with frustration. Frustration can lead to poor health, low morale and behaviour problems. The primary sources of these frustrations have yet to be fully identified. A non-random sample of 74 Illinois police officers was surveyed to determine their greatest frustration about handling domestic violence calls. Their responses indicated that the officers were most frustrated by the behaviours of victims, the operation of the criminal courts, their department's operations and informal policies, and the complexities of applying the law. However, the majority of the responses indicated an attitude of seriousness toward the crime of domestic violence. The responses focused mainly on behaviours and circumstances that thwarted attempts to see batterers prosecuted.