When People Are Fighting And 911 Is Called Police Officers Get Anxious

This clip is a portion of a film made in 1978 by the Minnesota State Police to train their officers to deal with what the officers say in the video, is the scariest situation for them. Domestic disputes. Fights. Violence. It is extraordinary because one state, Minnesota, decided to research domestic violence. It was called the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment. The primary aim of the study was to find the most effective police response to domestic violence. The experiment randomly assigned one of three responses to domestic violence calls: Arrest the suspect: If there was enough evidence that the suspect assaulted their partner, they were arrested and taken into custody. Advise both parties: The police would try to mediate the situation without arresting the suspect. Send the suspect away for eight hours: The suspect would be ordered to leave the premises for eight hours. The results of the experiment showed that arrest was the most effective police response. The rate of repeat domestic violence was significantly lower in the arrest group than in the other two groups. In the 1970s, here is what most police forces dealt with when entering a home where people were fighting and the police had been called. Police back then generally lacked the specialized training to handle domestic disturbances. Domestic disturbances were often viewed as private matters which led to less effective interventions. The legal system did not yet clearly define or recognize domestic violence as a serious crime in the same way as it does today. This could lead to a lack of law enforcement intervention in cases that would be treated very differently today. The officers on the scene had a great deal of discretion in deciding how to handle the situation. This could range from simply talking to the parties involved, to removing one person from the scene as happened in this video, to making an arrest. There were fewer support services available for victims of domestic violence in the 1970s, although this began to change with the advent of the women’s movement. The first domestic violence shelters in the U.S. started opening in the early 70s, but it took time for these resources to become widely available and for law enforcement to regularly incorporate referrals into their response to domestic disturbances. It was not until the 1980s and 90s that many places began adopting mandatory arrest policies for domestic violence calls, influenced by research like the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment. In 1978, arrests for domestic disturbances were less common and often depended on the perceived severity of the situation, visible injuries, or the victim’s willingness to press charges. Today things have substantively improved. Modern police response to domestic disturbances often includes elements like risk assessment and safety planning, which weren’t as commonly used in 1978. Police may use standardized tools to assess the risk of future violence and help victims plan for their safety. Since the late 70s, there has been a significant increase in services for domestic violence victims, such as shelters, hotlines, and advocacy programs. Police today are more likely to refer victims to these services as part of their response to a domestic disturbance. Some departments may also have partnerships with local domestic violence organizations, where advocates accompany officers on calls or follow up with victims afterwards. There is a greater emphasis today on using victim-centered approaches in domestic violence cases. This includes practices like providing victims with information about their rights and available services, respecting their decisions and autonomy, and prioritizing their safety and well-being. These are broad trends and actual practices can still vary widely depending on the specific department and situation. It’s also worth noting that while these changes generally represent progress, they have not fully resolved the challenges in police response to domestic violence. There continue to be ongoing debates and reforms in this area, with issues like racial bias, police violence, and the criminalization of survivors being major topics of concern. I would like to thank some of those who place advertisements on my video. They include: crisis intervention team. Police officer standards and training. Law enforcement classes online. Digital forensic training. Criminal justice classes near me. Law-enforcement classes near me. CJSTC Lawyer enforcement certification. CJSTC Academy near me. FBI schools. FBI training. CIA schools. CIA training. David Hoffman Filmmaker