The following articles and books were published over a span of more than twenty years. Both the field and some of my views have evolved but the topic remains as painfully relevant as ever. Please remember that all material on this Website is protected by copyright. Contact us if you wish to reproduce any material for other than your personal use.
Terminology: We prefer the term "police-perpetrated" or "officer-perpetrated" rather than the neutral "officer-involved" terminology used by law enforcement to more clearly identify that an officer is the aggressor, not the victim.
The term "police officer" has the same meaning as peace officer, agent, constable, warden, marshal, deputy, and so forth. It encompasses municipal, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement officers.
Articles
- TRUMP DOJ UNDERMINES PROGRESS IN ADDRESSING RACIAL & GENDER BIAS IN POLICING
- Under the Obama administration, the DOJ found gender and racial biases rampant in police culture; under the Trump administration, the DOJ is undermining the civil rights of women and people of color. Reporting crime is difficult for many victims, but when the perpetrator is in law enforcement reporting can be futile as well as dangerous.
- CONFRONTING GENDER BIAS IN POLICING
- The DOJ issued new guidelines addressing the role of gender bias in domestic violence and sexual assault investigations shortly after a 2015 ACLU report on gender bias in police response to DV/SA. This article questions how departments may implement the DOJ guidance when the perpetrator is one of their own.
- LITTLE PROGRESS IN ADDRESSING POLICE-PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- While policy and rhetoric make it appear that police agencies want victims to come forward, agencies' actual response seems designed to ensure that victims remain silent.
- REPRESENTING VICTIMS OF POLICE-PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- Attorneys and legal advocates face extraordinary challenges when representing a woman in a divorce or custody case whose batterer is a police officer.
- FEMALE OFFICERS AS VICTIMS OF POLICE-PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- Examines how the expectations and values of the policing profession and its workplace culture influence a female officer's behavior and decisions regarding her abusive intimate relationship.
- ABUSIVE POLICE OFFICERS: WORKING THE SYSTEM
- Officers who batter use professional control tactics and rely on the brotherhood to defend their actions. They receive support and assistance from the same institutions victims turn to for protection.
- WHO CAN STOP POLICE-PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
- The fact that there are police officers who batter their intimate partners and get away with it runs counter to many people's sense of justice. Unfortunately, too many in law enforcement refuse to hold abusive officers accountable for their actions.
- MISUSE OF POLICE POWERS IN POLICE-PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- Explores how the power and authority granted to officers to protect the public can lead to the abuse of their power.
- DEVELOPING POLICY ON POLICE-PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- Solutions good from the department's perspective can make things worse for the victim, while solutions better for the victim can leave the department open to liability.
- LESSONS LEARNED FROM TACOMA: THE PROBLEM OF POLICE OFFICER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- Reviews the dimensions of police officer domestic violence, the failure of departments to respond appropriately, and the benefits of effectively addressing violence among police officers.
Checklists
- THE IMPACT OF POLICE-PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- The book, Domestic Violence by Police Officers, is a compilation of research papers presented at an FBI National Academy invitational summit on officer-perpetrated domestic violence. Wetendorf's chapter examines the dynamics and impact on victims, departments, and communities.
- POLICE FAMILY SECRETS
- Instead of customizing services for victims of police abusers, we need police departments to have the integrity to hold their own police family members accountable for criminal behavior.
- CHECKLIST: ANNOTATED SAFETY PLAN FOR POLICE VICTIMS
- The standard safety plan for victims of domestic violence is often inadequate for victims of police officers. This plan addresses their specific needs.
- CHECKLIST: WARNING SIGNS OF ABUSIVE OFFICERS
- Many abusive officers exhibit on-duty behaviors that can be warning signs of official misconduct and/or private domestic violence.
- CHECKLIST: HOW POLICE DV IS DIFFERENT
- As a victim of a police officer, your situation is vastly different than that of other domestic violence victims.
- POLICE POWER & CONTROL WHEEL
- The tactics of power and control used by abusers in law enforcement presented in the familiar wheel format.
Books
- VICTIM'S HANDBOOK
- Concise explanation of the unique challenges faced by women whose abusers are in law enforcement. Available as an eBook through Books2Read.com
- ADVOCATES' GUIDE
- Comprehensive resource for advocates working with women whose batterers are in law enforcement. Includes safety considerations and advocacy strategies. Available as PDF only.
- CROSSING THE THRESHOLD: FEMALE OFFICERS & POLICE-PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- The police culture's focus on authority and control can affect officers' personal relationships. Law enforcement's historical attitudes about women and minorities provides the background for this book about the dynamics of violence when both the victim and perpetrator are in law enforcement. Available as an eBook from Books2Read.com. Also available in print through Amazon.
- HIJACKED BY THE RIGHT: BATTERED WOMEN IN AMERICA'S CULTURE WAR
- Domestic violence has become the new front of the war on women. Family Justice Centers are changing services for all women and their families. Available as an eBook through Books2Read.com. Also available in print through Amazon.
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