Page One

The Domestic Violence Oversight Committee credited a 17 percent decline in domestic violence with a partnership between the police department and a victims’ advocacy organization. 

Committee members, from the Family Violence Law Center, Berkeley Police Department and the city’s Health and Human Services Department, presented their report to the City Council Tuesday. 

According to the report, the number of incidences of domestic violence in Berkeley declined from 446 cases reported in 1997 to 374 cases reported in 2000. Committee members pointed to the joint efforts of the police department and the Family Violence Law Center. 

“The benefit to the victims is that they are presented with a variety of choices,” said Melinda Shrock, a victim advocate with the Family Violence Law Center. “They are given options of law enforcement, community services, children's’ counseling and in some cases emergency financial assistance.” 

The Berkeley Domestic Violence Prevention Program was formulated as a result of the city’s 1996 Report on Domestic Violence by a city task force consisting of Mayor Shirley Dean and councilmembers Dona Spring, Polly Armstrong and then-councilmember Mary Wainwright. The task force was assisted by City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque and Police Chief Dash Butler. 

Shrock said a key feature of the program is intensive police training that gives officers a variety of tools to use when responding to domestic violence calls. She said one of the most effective tools is the Emergency Protective Order. 

The EPO is a five-day restraining order that officers can put into effect by contacting an on-call judge who is available 24 hours a day.  

When the program began in 1997, the Berkeley Police Department issued EPOs in 22 percent of domestic violence calls. During 2000, they issued EPOs in 69 percent of calls.  

“The EPO is one of the most important tools the police have,” Shrock said. “It’s easy to obtain and it gives everybody a chance to cool down.” 

Shrock said domestic violence victims will often refuse to press charges against their batterers even though they may still be in physical danger. Officers are trained to use their own judgment by examining domestic violence scenes for probable cause to make arrests or enact an EPO.  

She said officers will look for injuries, make note of the condition of furniture and check for a history of domestic violence. 

“One of the first things they will look at is the telephone,” Shrock said. “The telephone is often the point where the batterer loses control because the victim is reaching out for help,” she said. “If the phone cord is pulled out of the wall or is damaged in some way it’s a serious indication of trouble.” 

In addition to taking action at the scene of a crime, officers also refer the victim to a domestic violence prevention team that consists of a police officer and a victim advocate who can offer follow-up assistance. Follow-up assistance can include a variety of counseling programs, help with petitions for long-term restraining orders or safe housing. 

“Berkeley has really been a leader in the Bay Area with this program,” Dean said. “The 1996 study we put together led to a federal grant and now the program has shown some results.” 

Dean added that the program’s success is in large part due to Chief Butler’s responsiveness to the issue. 

And Butler complimented Berkeley police officers for their execution of the program, noting that follow-up assistance is an important new feature to police protocol.  

“Treating a domestic violence call as a beginning rather than an end is critical to helping victims take the first step out of a bad situation.” he said. “Anything you can do to reduce domestic violence means that everybody in the community is better served.”