Police as Mediators in Domestic Disputes 91The following case illustration is a typical yet compelling scenario of a domestic
violence situation.
An ofhcer is patrolling in his squad car when he receives a call from dispatch to
respond to a complaint of domestic violence. The officer recognizes the address and
mumbles to himself in an irritating manner, "Why, should I even bother to respond?"
This address with this same complaint has occurred numerous times since his joining the
police force some 13 years ago. This scenario happens about once a month. Typically.
a complaint is received from Mrs. [ones that her husband is being verbally and otten
physically abusive and that she requires assistance immediately. However, each time an
officer confronts this situation, Mrs. Jones refuses to cooperate with the arresting or
prosecuting procedures, stating that her call to the police was premature, a mistake, and
does not wish to prosecute despite her blackened eyes and bruised cheeks. Often, Mr.
Jones is not present in the home, making it a waste of valuable time to try and find him.Situations such as these are commonplace for the police officer who responds
to domestic violence calls. Depending on the policy and procedures of the police
department's jurisdiction, officers are instructed to deal with these situations differ-
ently. Some law enforcement departments have a mandatory arrest policy for the
perpetrator as well as the victim. In a time of increased public concern and increased
police involvement, officers are faced with the task of having to handle domestic
disputes via mandatory arrest or through mediation.
A significant amount of literature exists on the dynamics, causes, prevention
strategies, policing methods, and other topics related to this subject. Mediators are
most often police officers who deal with these types of situations on a daily basis. The
focus of this section is on the role of police officers as mediators in domestic disputes.
A variety of aspects related to mediation in domestic disputes is examined including
police practices and tactics, existing policies regarding offenders, recommendations,
and prevention strategies.
Literature Review
Research indicates that about one-third of all police calls result from domestic dis-
turbances in which intimate partners have engaged in loud or abusive arguments or
even physical violence (Bell & Bell, 1991). As a result, police officers are forced to
attend to such disputes in an effort to maintain order as well as to protect potential
victims from imminent physical injury. Depending on the particular officer, they
may or may not feel comfortable assisting in domestic violence calls due to lack
of training or knowledge in the area of domestic violence and dispute resolution.
Research indicates that police have historically been reluctant to intervene in do-
mestic disputes (Bayley & Garofalo, 1989). It has been the attitude of many officers
that social workers are better suited to deal with the social problem of domestic
violence instead of law enforcement. Despite the idealism of this philosophy, it is
an inherent duty of law enforcement to maintain order as well as to enforce the law.