Domestic Violence- Can the Police Protect You?

Domestic violence is one of leading causes of death for women in America today. Our first thought in that type of situation is we need protection, and so we reach out to the police or our local 911 operator. But does this mean we will get the help we need as women?

Recently, in Nashville, a young black women, Sheila Jones, who had been assaulted by her boyfriend as he repeatedly returned to her home, had continued to call 911 over a three hour period, begging for help for fear he was going to make good on his promise to return and finish her off the next time. The 911 operator told her several times that someone was on their way, when no one had been given the call to respond.

During one part of the recorded conversation, this was heard:

Sheila to 911: "They ain't sent nobody. I just don't understand. Is it 'cause I'm black? Is it 'cause of the neighborhood? What is it?" I'm scared to leave my house!"

911: "Ok, Ma'am, I updated the call. We'll get somebody there as soon as possible."

Sheila hangs up.

911 (as caught on the recording of the call): "I really don't give a (bleep) what happens to you."

The 911 operator that responded was later fired, not because of his comment, but because he did not pass a part of his final exam for the position.

Tracey Thurman, a young wife from Torrington, Connecticut, filed a lawsuit against the city when the police failed to protect her against her husband's abuse, even though she had called repeatedly from October 1982 until the final attack in June 1983. She relayed his threats to the police and tried to file complaints but her pleas were largely ignored. At one point, her husband attacked her in full view of a policeman, and a judge issued a restraining order that he was not to go near his wife home. He violated the order, but her request that he be arrested also resulted in no action from the police department.

Her husband returned to her home on June 10, 1983, and she called the police. Her husband sliced her throat and repeatedly stabbed her in her yard. A policeman took twenty-five minutes to respond, and even after witnessing the attack did not come to her aid. Her husband went upstairs to her apartment, picked up their son, and threw the toddler onto her bleeding body in the yard. It was only after three other policeman arrived and her husband attempted to attack her again as she was being placed in the ambulance, that he was finally arrested. She filed a lawsuit against the city of Torrington, and the court agreed that she was denied equal protection under the law. She was awarded a settlement, but the wounds she suffered have caused permanent nerve damage and impaired movement, as well as the scars she will carry both internally and externally the rest of her life.

In my research for this article, I interviewed a local police detective, who requested to remain off the record. I asked if police treated domestic abuse cases differently than other calls for help.

He replied, "You learn early on in your career that many of these cases are so out of control, you're likely to be shot or at least seriously injured if you intervene. So, yeah, sometimes, we try to let things calm down some before responding, even though it may not be protocol. Usually the guy is drunk, and he will eventually calm down. Most of the time the women are not going to press charges anyway."

I asked if he would feel the same way if it was his mother or sister who was being threatened and he replied, "No, but many of these calls are from lower income families who make it a habit to have these brawls constantly."

When asked if the area of town where the call was placed made a difference, he said, "Yeah, unfortunately, it does."

He had not heard of the Tracey Thurman case, but said he did know the law when it came to equal protection, and they try to follow that, despite the opinions he had voiced to the contrary.

So what is a woman in a domestic abuse situation suppose to do?

1. Educate yourself as to the signs of an abusive relationship. This is an excellent article : http://www.helpguide.org/mental/domestic_violence_abuse_types_signs_causes_effects.htm

2. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline and find out the resources available in your community: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224.

3. Get out of the situation. Find a safe house. Learn self-protection. It may be necessary to remove yourself completely from the situation. The Social Security Administration makes it possible for someone to change their identity and receive a new social security number when domestic abuse can be documented. You may be able to move and begin fresh somewhere away from the abuser. Check with your local Social Security office for more information.

4. Have a plan. If you think the relationship you are in could escalate to violence, have a plan to escape before it reaches that point. Put money aside. Have a bag packed at a separate location. Make a plan that would work for your situation.

Note: Even though I have written this article using the example of the husband as the abuser (which is statistically the norm), abuse can happen to either sex, and to people from any race or economic background. Get a plan. Get out of the situation. Don't be the next death statistic.