Domestic Violence Response Cross-Training Institute

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

The Domestic Violence Response Cross-Training Institute is an innovative tool for bridging gaps between criminal justice agencies as they respond to victims of domestic violence. The Institute brings police officers, 911 dispatchers, probation officers, assistant district attorneys, and deputy sheriffs, as well as their supervisors, together to learn about the dynamics of domestic violence from experienced community trainers, and to learn about the intersection of their job roles from one another. Though personnel from each of these agencies interact with the same victims and perpetrators, they rarely interact with one another, leading to systemic gaps, miscommunication, and increased risk for domestic violence victims. The Institute uses case analyses, role-playing, multimedia presentations, and a variety of interactive exercises to provide topical information about this critical issue. In the 2-year pilot, the San Francisco County Department on the Status of Women trained over 430 criminal justice personnel at 20 full-day Institute sessions.