Police do not shield fellow officers.

PositionDomestic Violence - Brief article

While much has been made about the 'blue wall of silence" among police officers, a study has found that police officers do not turn a blind eye when other officers perpetrate domestic violence. In such cases, they are most inclined to obtain a detailed history of the violence, link victims with domestic violence programs, and encourage them to file a formal report, researchers at Florida State University, Tallahassee, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, have found.

"We were encouraged to see that officers made help for the victim their highest priority," says Daniel Saunders, a professor at UM's School of Social Work and the lead author of a study published in the Journal of Family Violence. "We were also encouraged that officers were oriented to the facts of the case rather than being influenced by their personal traits."

In 1999, as a response to the special safety concerns for victims of officers' abuse, the International Association of Chiefs of...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT