Policeofficer.com- their blog about cops who beat their domestic partners.
http://www.officer.com/web/online/Police-Life/He-Hits-Me-and-Hes-a-Cop/17$47878
If you know a police officer who is a batterer, do something now. If you are a victim, GET HELP IMMEDIATELY. Crystal tried to get help and they didn't listen. Now, FINALLY, law enforcement agencies are using her tragic story as an example of what can and DID happen because she was ignored.
If you know a victim, LISTEN TO HER. She is frightened. She knows what might happen to her if she reports him. If she suddenly begins missing work, isolating herself from others, making up excuses for injuries (I fell, I tripped, I was mugged by a stranger) those may be warning signs. If he is controlling, over powering, jealous, disrespectful of her and her feelings, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION. If her abuser is with a local agency, report the abuse to a higher agency if her complaints go unanswered. Not speaking out and seeking help can end tragically.
PLEASE DON'T be the next statistic. Please don't let your friends and loved ones be the next statistic. Police Domestic Violence is a very serious issue and hundreds/ thousands of cases end tragically.
National Center for Women &Policing: http://www.womenandpolicing.org/violenceFS.asp
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Cops who beat their wives rarely pay the price
Jennifer Rees- outspoken and brave. This is an excellent story that deserves to be heard.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/131879_cops23.html
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/131879_cops23.html
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Louisiana :Women's Murders highest rate in U.S.
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2009/09/report_louisiana_women_get_mur.html
Report: Louisiana women get murdered at highest rate in the U.S.
By Ramon Antonio Vargas, The Times-Picayune
September 22, 2009, 12:00PM
More women get murdered by men in Louisiana than anywhere else in the United States, according to a new report by the Violence Policy Center.
While the national rate of women being murdered by men stands at 1.30 per 100,000, Louisiana’s rate in 2007 was 2.53 per 100,000, highest in the nation, the report says. In second was Alaska with a rate of 2.44 per 100,000, and in third place was Wyoming at 2.33 per 100,000.
The report drew its information from the FBI’s unpublished Supplementary Homicide report. The most recent data available is from 2007.
That year, men killed 57 women in Louisiana. Seven victims were less than 18 years old. Four victims were 65 years of age or older. The victims’ average age was 36, according to the report.
Thirty-four of the victims died from gunshot wounds. Six were stabbed or cut to death; two were clubbed to death; and six were beaten to death.
"These findings alarmingly demonstrate how domestic violence can escalate to homicide," the center’s Legislative Director Kristen Rand said in a news release. "More resources need to be made available to protect women and prevent such tragedies."
Report: Louisiana women get murdered at highest rate in the U.S.
By Ramon Antonio Vargas, The Times-Picayune
September 22, 2009, 12:00PM
More women get murdered by men in Louisiana than anywhere else in the United States, according to a new report by the Violence Policy Center.
While the national rate of women being murdered by men stands at 1.30 per 100,000, Louisiana’s rate in 2007 was 2.53 per 100,000, highest in the nation, the report says. In second was Alaska with a rate of 2.44 per 100,000, and in third place was Wyoming at 2.33 per 100,000.
The report drew its information from the FBI’s unpublished Supplementary Homicide report. The most recent data available is from 2007.
That year, men killed 57 women in Louisiana. Seven victims were less than 18 years old. Four victims were 65 years of age or older. The victims’ average age was 36, according to the report.
Thirty-four of the victims died from gunshot wounds. Six were stabbed or cut to death; two were clubbed to death; and six were beaten to death.
"These findings alarmingly demonstrate how domestic violence can escalate to homicide," the center’s Legislative Director Kristen Rand said in a news release. "More resources need to be made available to protect women and prevent such tragedies."
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Louisiana Family Violence Program
http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&cpID=191
FAMILY VIOLENCE PROGRAM GENERAL OVERVIEW
Since 1979, the Governor’s Office on Women’s Policy – or its predecessor agency – has administered grants to public and private non-profit organizations through its Family Violence Program. Service providers statewide and the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (LCADV) provide a variety of services to victims of family violence – mostly women and children. Services include emergency shelter, crisis intervention, advocacy, coordination of services, information and referral systems advocacy, community education and public awareness, emergency transportation, safety planning, crisis line, legal advocacy and children’s services. The focus of programs supported by family violence funds in Louisiana is primarily shelter services/alternative housing. Emergency shelters provide 24-hour residential services for women and their children. Many shelters offer transitional housing or transitional living situations. Shelters have nonresidential programs that provide individual and group counseling, support groups for women and their children and referral to shelter. They also provide emergency assistance/crisis counseling through 24-hour crisis lines, case management, information and referral, legal advocacy and educational services.
Defining Domestic Violence:
Domestic violence is characterized as a pattern of coercion used by one person to exert power and control over another person in the context of a dating, family or household relationship.* Domestic violence happens to people of all ages, races, ethnicities and religions. It occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. Economic or professional status does not indicate domestic violence. *Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network
Family Violence: A Societal Ailment
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 50 percent of all women will experience physical violence in an intimate relationship and for 24 to 30 percent of those women the battering will be regular and on-going. Ninety-Five percent of all violence victims are women.
July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008: Data Points:
Number of women receiving domestic violence services: 10,411
Number of children receiving domestic violence services: 4,521
Number of teenagers/young adults served: 2,712
Number of elderly served: 154
Number of protective orders assisted: 4,334
FAMILY VIOLENCE PROGRAM GENERAL OVERVIEW
Since 1979, the Governor’s Office on Women’s Policy – or its predecessor agency – has administered grants to public and private non-profit organizations through its Family Violence Program. Service providers statewide and the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (LCADV) provide a variety of services to victims of family violence – mostly women and children. Services include emergency shelter, crisis intervention, advocacy, coordination of services, information and referral systems advocacy, community education and public awareness, emergency transportation, safety planning, crisis line, legal advocacy and children’s services. The focus of programs supported by family violence funds in Louisiana is primarily shelter services/alternative housing. Emergency shelters provide 24-hour residential services for women and their children. Many shelters offer transitional housing or transitional living situations. Shelters have nonresidential programs that provide individual and group counseling, support groups for women and their children and referral to shelter. They also provide emergency assistance/crisis counseling through 24-hour crisis lines, case management, information and referral, legal advocacy and educational services.
Defining Domestic Violence:
Domestic violence is characterized as a pattern of coercion used by one person to exert power and control over another person in the context of a dating, family or household relationship.* Domestic violence happens to people of all ages, races, ethnicities and religions. It occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. Economic or professional status does not indicate domestic violence. *Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network
Family Violence: A Societal Ailment
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 50 percent of all women will experience physical violence in an intimate relationship and for 24 to 30 percent of those women the battering will be regular and on-going. Ninety-Five percent of all violence victims are women.
July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008: Data Points:
Number of women receiving domestic violence services: 10,411
Number of children receiving domestic violence services: 4,521
Number of teenagers/young adults served: 2,712
Number of elderly served: 154
Number of protective orders assisted: 4,334
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tribute to Crystal Brame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK-v6cCPyFo&NR=1
God bless you Crystal. You touched me and I didn't even know you. You are a beautiful angel in heaven.
God bless you Crystal. You touched me and I didn't even know you. You are a beautiful angel in heaven.
WA Congressman Inslee on Cop DV to House of Representatives
Louisiana needs to follow Washington- Put a stop to Police Officer Domestic Violence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFMZgOWdz9k
It is very common for cops who abuse to be overlooked and not investigated for criminal activity. It is up to us to demand change by INSISTING that Officer Involved Domestic Violence in every state of this nation will not be tolerated. Most officers are honest. It only takes one bad apple to give a bad name to police officers.
I am currently working with lawmakers in Louisiana to draft protocol that would require all officer involved domestic violence allegations to be investigated by the Louisiana State Police
or the Louisiana State Attorney General's Office. I believe we're making strides. Unfortunately, it will be one year until the state senate and congress meet again to enact new laws. My next meeting with lawmakers will take place in August. Please pray that we can put a stop to OIDV that gets swept under the rug. Eventually, our message will get the right attention.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFMZgOWdz9k
It is very common for cops who abuse to be overlooked and not investigated for criminal activity. It is up to us to demand change by INSISTING that Officer Involved Domestic Violence in every state of this nation will not be tolerated. Most officers are honest. It only takes one bad apple to give a bad name to police officers.
I am currently working with lawmakers in Louisiana to draft protocol that would require all officer involved domestic violence allegations to be investigated by the Louisiana State Police
or the Louisiana State Attorney General's Office. I believe we're making strides. Unfortunately, it will be one year until the state senate and congress meet again to enact new laws. My next meeting with lawmakers will take place in August. Please pray that we can put a stop to OIDV that gets swept under the rug. Eventually, our message will get the right attention.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Lane and Patty Judson
Lane & Patty Judson's daughter Crystal was fatally shot by the husband she was divorcing - Tacoma Washington's Police Chief David Brame - one day after city officials publicly announced that her claims of abuse and threats would not be investigated. It was a very public murder-suicide, executed in a shopping center parking lot with their 2 young children running to them. Chief Brame died that day but Crystal lingered. All of us here in Tacoma held our breath praying for what couldn't be. She had taken a contact headshot with a police-issue glock. Her family stayed with her in the hospital for that week before she died, and it was during that time Lane was given the time to whisper to his daughter... Please take time to visit their website: http://www.lanejudson.com/index.htm
Lane and Patty Judson have been helping victims in other states fight for legislation involving Officer Domestic Violence. They have agreed to help us reach out to lawmakers in Louisiana. God Bless them!
Thank you Lane and Patty!
Lane and Patty Judson have been helping victims in other states fight for legislation involving Officer Domestic Violence. They have agreed to help us reach out to lawmakers in Louisiana. God Bless them!
Thank you Lane and Patty!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
The Impact of Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence- Diane Wetendorf
The Impact of Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence
Here is a link to Diane's site: http://www.abuseofpower.info/Article_FBI.htm
"Many of the same qualities valued in on-duty police officers can make those same officers dangerous perpetrators of domestic violence. All abusers employ similar methods to control and abuse their intimate partners. Officers however, have an arsenal of skills and tactics not commonly possessed by civilians. Professional training in the use of force and weapons, intimidation, interrogation and surveillance techniques along with the cultural climate coalesce into a dangerous and potentially lethal combination in a domestic situation. Victims face the bias of law enforcement agencies and the legal system, psychological intimidation, and high risk of lethality."
Here is a link to Diane's site: http://www.abuseofpower.info/Article_FBI.htm
"Many of the same qualities valued in on-duty police officers can make those same officers dangerous perpetrators of domestic violence. All abusers employ similar methods to control and abuse their intimate partners. Officers however, have an arsenal of skills and tactics not commonly possessed by civilians. Professional training in the use of force and weapons, intimidation, interrogation and surveillance techniques along with the cultural climate coalesce into a dangerous and potentially lethal combination in a domestic situation. Victims face the bias of law enforcement agencies and the legal system, psychological intimidation, and high risk of lethality."
Saturday, June 6, 2009
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office Domestic Violence Division
At least some parishes take Domestic Violence seriously and have specialized programs in place to handle those issues.
http://www.stpso.org/domesticviolence.html
This should be used as a model for all sheriff's offices in Louisiana.
http://www.stpso.org/domesticviolence.html
This should be used as a model for all sheriff's offices in Louisiana.
St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office receives $157, 941 Grant
May 22, 2009
http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=1253
Governor Bobby Jindal Announces $20 Million in Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice Grants.
"Governor Jindal said, “We’re committed to providing our law enforcement officers and public safety agencies with the resources they need to keep our families safe. These grants will help ensure that our entire criminal justice system has the capacity to keep our citizens protected.”
The Governor said that the 150 grants, which total $20,298,329, are being awarded in the form of Byrne/JAG Grants and Crime Victim Assistance Grants. Byrne/JAG Grants and Crime Victim Assistance Grants are allocated to entities within the state using federal dollars. On Thursday, the LCLE voted for and approved the allocation of these grants."
"The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office: $157,941 grant"
Now, let's see them put the grant money to good use by implementing policies for victims of crime at the hands of law enforcement officers in their own organization.
http://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=1253
Governor Bobby Jindal Announces $20 Million in Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice Grants.
"Governor Jindal said, “We’re committed to providing our law enforcement officers and public safety agencies with the resources they need to keep our families safe. These grants will help ensure that our entire criminal justice system has the capacity to keep our citizens protected.”
The Governor said that the 150 grants, which total $20,298,329, are being awarded in the form of Byrne/JAG Grants and Crime Victim Assistance Grants. Byrne/JAG Grants and Crime Victim Assistance Grants are allocated to entities within the state using federal dollars. On Thursday, the LCLE voted for and approved the allocation of these grants."
"The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office: $157,941 grant"
Now, let's see them put the grant money to good use by implementing policies for victims of crime at the hands of law enforcement officers in their own organization.
Child custody in Domestic Violence Situations
This site, http://www.childcustody.org/childcustodyorgdiscussion/viewtopic.php?t=1978, has some very interesting posts. It should give victims of Domestic Violence something to think about if there are minor children involved when the violence occurred. As noted by at least one poster, her abuser plead down from Domestic Violence to Disturbing the Peace. As a result, the mother ended up going through a child custody battle and didn't have the necessary convictions to prove that the abusive parent shouldn't have custody. This post is not intended in any way to be legal advice for anyone. It's just something I thought I would mention. Once a relationship becomes violent, rarely does the violence stop. It typically escalates and the relationship becomes more dangerous over time.
Domestic Violence Arrest Policies by State
In Louisiana, Officers are required by law to arrest someone accused of domestic violence when the battery is aggravated or second degree, or when danger to the victim exists where assault or simple battery occurred. Don't always count on that if the abuser is a cop!
Domestic Violence Arrest Policies by State 11/07
Prepared by the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence http://www.abanet.org/domviol
The law is constantly changing! Please independently confirm the data you find here.
We are always grateful to receive corrections and updates at abacdvta@abanet.org
State
DV Arrest Policy Relevant Statute
Alabama Officer’s Discretion Ala. Code 1975 § 15-10-3 (A)(8)
Alaska Mandatory Arrest Alaska Stat. § 18.65.530 (A)
Arizona Mandatory Arrest Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-3601 (B)
Arkansas Pro-Arrest Ark. Code Ann. § 16-81-113 (A)(1)(A)
California Pro-Arrest Cal. Penal Code § 836 (D)
Colorado Mandatory Arrest Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-6-803.6
Connecticut Mandatory Arrest Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 46b-38b (A)
Delaware Officer's Discretion? Del. Code Ann. Tit 11 § 1904 (reasonable grounds)
DC Mandatory Arrest D.C. Code Ann. § 16-1031
Florida Pro-Arrest Fla. Stat. Ann. § 741.29 (4)(B)
Georgia Officer's Discretion Ga. Code Ann., § 17-4-20 (A)
Hawaii Officer's Discretion? HI St § 803-5 (broad statute)
Idaho Officer's Discretion I.C. § 19-603
Illinois Officer's Discretion 750 IlCS 60/301
Indiana Officer's Discretion IC 35-33-1-1 (1)(A)(5)(B)
Iowa Mandatory Arrest Iowa Code Ann. §§ 236.12 (2); 804.7 (5)
Kansas Mandatory Arrest Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22-2307 (B)(1)
Kentucky Officer's Discretion KRS § 403.785 (2)
Louisiana Mandatory Arrest
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 46-2140 (1)(aggravated or second degree battery),
(2)(danger to victim exists where assault or simple battery occurred)
Maine Mandatory Arrest Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. Tit 19-A § 4012 (5)
Maryland Officer's Discretion Md. Crim. Proc. § 12-204 (A)(1)(I), (Ii)
Massachusetts Pro-Arrest Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. Ch. 209a § 6
Michigan Pro-Arrest Mich. Stat. Ann. §§ 28.874 (1), 28.1274(3)
Minnesota Officer's Discretion Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.341
Mississippi Mandatory Arrest Miss. Code Ann. § 99-3-7 (3)
Missouri Officer's Discretion V.A.M.S. 455.085
Montana Pro-Arrest
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 455.085.1 (requiring arrest for a second domestic violence
incident within 12 hours); Mont. Code Ann. § 46-6-311 (2)(A)
Nebraska Officer's Discretion NE St § 29-404.02 (1)
Nevada Mandatory Arrest Nev. Rev. Stat. § 171.137
New
Hampshire
Officer's Discretion?
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 594:10 (I)(B); N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 173-B:9 (is
ambiguous in directing that an officer “should” arrest the primary aggressor in
the context of a discretionary arrest directive for domestic violence generally)
New Jersey Mandatory Arrest?
N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2c:25-21(mandates warrantless arrest only where injury
resulted or weapon was used; may, in practice, be applied only in felony-level
assaults)
New Mexico Officer's Discretion N.M.S.A. 1978, § 31-1-7 (A)
New York Mandatory Arrest N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 140.10 (4)(C)
North Carolina Officer's Discretion N.C.G.S.A. § 15a-401
North Dakota Pro-Arrest
N.D. Cent. Code § 14-07.1-11 (2); N.D. Cent. Code § 14-07.1-10 (setting forth
presumptive arrest policy)
Ohio Mandatory Arrest?
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2935.032 (A)(1)(A); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2935.03
(B)(3)(B) (provides for a preferred arrest policy when there is “reasonable
grounds” to arrest; however, when there is probable cause to arrest, arrest is
mandatory)
Domestic Violence Arrest Policies by State 11/07
Prepared by the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence http://www.abanet.org/domviol
The law is constantly changing! Please independently confirm the data you find here.
We are always grateful to receive corrections and updates at abacdvta@abanet.org
State
DV Arrest Policy Relevant Statute
Oklahoma Officer's Discretion Okla. Stat. Tit. 22 § 40.3
Oregon Mandatory Arrest Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.055 (2)(A)
Pennsylvania Officer's Discretion 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 2711
Rhode Island Mandatory Arrest R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-3
South Carolina Mandatory Arrest S.C. Code Ann. § 16-25-70
South Dakota Mandatory Arrest S.D. Codified Laws Ann. §§ 23a-3-2.1
Tennessee Pro-Arrest Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-3-619
Texas Officer's Discretion Vernon's Ann.Texas C.C.P. Art. 14.03 (A)(4)
Utah Mandatory Arrest Utah Code Ann. § 77-36-2.2
Vermont Officer's Discretion VT RCRP Rule 3
Virginia Mandatory Arrest?
Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-81.3(authorizes officer discretion to determine whether
“special circumstances” exist that dictate alternatives to arrest be used)
Washington Mandatory Arrest Wash. Rev. Code Ann. §10.31.100 (2)
West Virginia Officer's Discretion W. Va. Code, § 48-27-1002
Wisconsin Pro-Arrest Wis. Stat. Ann. § 968.075(3)
Wyoming Officer's Discretion Wyo. Stat. § 7-20-102
Domestic Violence Arrest Policies by State 11/07
Prepared by the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence http://www.abanet.org/domviol
The law is constantly changing! Please independently confirm the data you find here.
We are always grateful to receive corrections and updates at abacdvta@abanet.org
State
DV Arrest Policy Relevant Statute
Alabama Officer’s Discretion Ala. Code 1975 § 15-10-3 (A)(8)
Alaska Mandatory Arrest Alaska Stat. § 18.65.530 (A)
Arizona Mandatory Arrest Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-3601 (B)
Arkansas Pro-Arrest Ark. Code Ann. § 16-81-113 (A)(1)(A)
California Pro-Arrest Cal. Penal Code § 836 (D)
Colorado Mandatory Arrest Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-6-803.6
Connecticut Mandatory Arrest Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 46b-38b (A)
Delaware Officer's Discretion? Del. Code Ann. Tit 11 § 1904 (reasonable grounds)
DC Mandatory Arrest D.C. Code Ann. § 16-1031
Florida Pro-Arrest Fla. Stat. Ann. § 741.29 (4)(B)
Georgia Officer's Discretion Ga. Code Ann., § 17-4-20 (A)
Hawaii Officer's Discretion? HI St § 803-5 (broad statute)
Idaho Officer's Discretion I.C. § 19-603
Illinois Officer's Discretion 750 IlCS 60/301
Indiana Officer's Discretion IC 35-33-1-1 (1)(A)(5)(B)
Iowa Mandatory Arrest Iowa Code Ann. §§ 236.12 (2); 804.7 (5)
Kansas Mandatory Arrest Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22-2307 (B)(1)
Kentucky Officer's Discretion KRS § 403.785 (2)
Louisiana Mandatory Arrest
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 46-2140 (1)(aggravated or second degree battery),
(2)(danger to victim exists where assault or simple battery occurred)
Maine Mandatory Arrest Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. Tit 19-A § 4012 (5)
Maryland Officer's Discretion Md. Crim. Proc. § 12-204 (A)(1)(I), (Ii)
Massachusetts Pro-Arrest Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. Ch. 209a § 6
Michigan Pro-Arrest Mich. Stat. Ann. §§ 28.874 (1), 28.1274(3)
Minnesota Officer's Discretion Minn. Stat. Ann. § 609.341
Mississippi Mandatory Arrest Miss. Code Ann. § 99-3-7 (3)
Missouri Officer's Discretion V.A.M.S. 455.085
Montana Pro-Arrest
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 455.085.1 (requiring arrest for a second domestic violence
incident within 12 hours); Mont. Code Ann. § 46-6-311 (2)(A)
Nebraska Officer's Discretion NE St § 29-404.02 (1)
Nevada Mandatory Arrest Nev. Rev. Stat. § 171.137
New
Hampshire
Officer's Discretion?
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 594:10 (I)(B); N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 173-B:9 (is
ambiguous in directing that an officer “should” arrest the primary aggressor in
the context of a discretionary arrest directive for domestic violence generally)
New Jersey Mandatory Arrest?
N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2c:25-21(mandates warrantless arrest only where injury
resulted or weapon was used; may, in practice, be applied only in felony-level
assaults)
New Mexico Officer's Discretion N.M.S.A. 1978, § 31-1-7 (A)
New York Mandatory Arrest N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 140.10 (4)(C)
North Carolina Officer's Discretion N.C.G.S.A. § 15a-401
North Dakota Pro-Arrest
N.D. Cent. Code § 14-07.1-11 (2); N.D. Cent. Code § 14-07.1-10 (setting forth
presumptive arrest policy)
Ohio Mandatory Arrest?
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2935.032 (A)(1)(A); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2935.03
(B)(3)(B) (provides for a preferred arrest policy when there is “reasonable
grounds” to arrest; however, when there is probable cause to arrest, arrest is
mandatory)
Domestic Violence Arrest Policies by State 11/07
Prepared by the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence http://www.abanet.org/domviol
The law is constantly changing! Please independently confirm the data you find here.
We are always grateful to receive corrections and updates at abacdvta@abanet.org
State
DV Arrest Policy Relevant Statute
Oklahoma Officer's Discretion Okla. Stat. Tit. 22 § 40.3
Oregon Mandatory Arrest Or. Rev. Stat. § 133.055 (2)(A)
Pennsylvania Officer's Discretion 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 2711
Rhode Island Mandatory Arrest R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-29-3
South Carolina Mandatory Arrest S.C. Code Ann. § 16-25-70
South Dakota Mandatory Arrest S.D. Codified Laws Ann. §§ 23a-3-2.1
Tennessee Pro-Arrest Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-3-619
Texas Officer's Discretion Vernon's Ann.Texas C.C.P. Art. 14.03 (A)(4)
Utah Mandatory Arrest Utah Code Ann. § 77-36-2.2
Vermont Officer's Discretion VT RCRP Rule 3
Virginia Mandatory Arrest?
Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-81.3(authorizes officer discretion to determine whether
“special circumstances” exist that dictate alternatives to arrest be used)
Washington Mandatory Arrest Wash. Rev. Code Ann. §10.31.100 (2)
West Virginia Officer's Discretion W. Va. Code, § 48-27-1002
Wisconsin Pro-Arrest Wis. Stat. Ann. § 968.075(3)
Wyoming Officer's Discretion Wyo. Stat. § 7-20-102
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Home Incarceration
I realize that I've blended posts about electronic monitoring of violent criminals and not all of them are related to Domestic Violence. My message is simple: Home Incarceration for dangerous criminals doesn't always work. We need lawmakers to re-examine this practice. Too many innocent people are killed by criminals being electronically monitored. One life lost is too many. If we don't speak out, who will? I have more stories to post about this topic and I will when I have more time.
Please say a prayer for those who lost their lives when they should have been protected. God bless them all.
Please say a prayer for those who lost their lives when they should have been protected. God bless them all.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Teenage suspect in New Orleans bartender's French Quarter death broke monitoring rules
Teenage suspect in New Orleans bartender's French Quarter death broke monitoring rules
by Laura Maggi, The Times-Picayune
Tuesday April 07, 2009, 6:39 PM
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/teenage_suspect_in_new_orleans.html
Less than a week before Drey Lewis and two friends allegedly held up and fatally shot a French Quarter bartender, a company monitoring the 15-year-old's movements through an ankle bracelet reported to juvenile court that Lewis wasn't following the rules of his probation, documents show.
Though the company, Total Sentencing Alternatives Program, recommended that Lewis be ejected from the monitoring program as a result -- a move that likely would have landed him in a juvenile detention center -- that didn't occur, allowing him to roam the streets on the night of Jan. 17, when Wendy Byrne was killed.
Juvenile Judge David Bell, who handled Lewis' case, said bad timing made it impossible for him to act immediately on the company's recommendation.
TSAP did not file its letter until the day of a previously scheduled review hearing for Lewis, which meant the court could not grant the company's request to remove him from electronic monitoring, according to Bell.
The judge said any request to change a juvenile delinquent's status must be filed 72 hours before a hearing to allow attorneys on both sides to prepare arguments.
"If provided notice, the court could have handled the matter, " Bell said. "Does that mean I would have revoked him that day? I don't know."
Lewis, who has been in the Orleans Parish jail since he was booked in Byrne's killing, was on probation in juvenile court after a property crime conviction, Bell said.
Reggie Douglas, who turned 16 while in jail, is accused of shooting Byrne. Lewis and 14-year-old Ernest Cloud allegedly accompanied Douglas to the French Quarter to pull off armed robberies, police said. Under state law, each of the teens potentially faces murder charges, regardless of their roles in the crime.
None of them have been formally charged. Cloud's case remains in juvenile court until he is declared competent to assist with his defense. The Orleans Parish district attorney's office has about two more weeks to obtain a grand jury indictment of Lewis and Douglas on murder charges, or refuse the case.
The electronic monitoring program has been the subject of some criticism in the past year, with the debate reignited by recent cases involving suspects in violent crimes who were wearing ankle bracelets. But proponents have called electronic monitoring an effective tool for allowing some defendants to get out of jail to attend school or work, while still providing a measure of oversight before trial or on probation.
The city plans to rebid the contract to provide monitoring for the various courts but has not yet done so.
Lewis was placed on probation in early December after his adjudication for the nonviolent property crime, details of which Bell would not disclose. As part of his probation, the juvenile was given an ankle bracelet and a curfew restricting his night movements. According to a TSAP letter and Bell's court judgment obtained by The Times-Picayune, Lewis didn't comply with the terms of his probation and was in trouble at school.
The judgment noted that Lewis had been suspended for being disrespectful at school, that he skipped school and "had been shot by a friend that was playing with a gun." Bell said he didn't have any other details about the gun accident.
A letter dated Jan. 12 and filed into the court record Jan. 13 by TSAP noted that Lewis had failed to consistently charge the battery on his ankle bracelet, which was capable of tracking his location through global positioning satellite software. That meant the company couldn't always say where Lewis had been or whether he was complying with his curfew, according to the letter.
The letter was received by the court on the day of the scheduled hearing, Bell said. Instead of immediately revoking Lewis' probation, he set the case for another hearing on Feb. 3 and placed the teenager on house arrest. Lewis was not supposed to leave his house except to attend school or move about with his mother.
The revocation hearing was set for three weeks after the status hearing that revealed Lewis' problems because that was when all the lawyers could be present, Bell said. The state Office of Juvenile Justice, which had supervised Lewis' probation for less than six weeks, also asked for more time to work with him, he said.
Many juveniles placed on probation quickly violate restrictions, ignoring mandates that they attend school and participate in court-ordered programs, Bell said. Judges must balance the potential public safety threat of a youth with the goal of pushing the young person onto the right track, he said.
Bell reiterated his earlier complaint that TSAP hasn't provided the court with timely notice when youths, including Lewis, are not complying with court-ordered restrictions on their movements.
Too often the judge doesn't find out about a violation until another month passes, Bell said. That point was reiterated by Ilona Picou, head of Juvenile Regional Services, the public defenders at juvenile court, who added that electronic monitoring needs to be coupled with more intensive case management.
After the Saturday night Lewis was in the French Quarter, during the time of the Wendy Byrne killing, the court never received notification of the violation, Bell said.
William Welch, chief executive officer of TSAP, said he can't dispute Bell's explanation of court rules and the necessity of filing revocations 72 hours before hearings.
But Welch said his company regularly files notices of electronic monitoring violations at court, including in Lewis' case. If the company thinks violations are severe enough that a judge needs to act right away, a case manager will file the request the next day, he said.
. . . . . . .
Laura Maggi can be reached at lmaggi@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3316.
by Laura Maggi, The Times-Picayune
Tuesday April 07, 2009, 6:39 PM
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/teenage_suspect_in_new_orleans.html
Less than a week before Drey Lewis and two friends allegedly held up and fatally shot a French Quarter bartender, a company monitoring the 15-year-old's movements through an ankle bracelet reported to juvenile court that Lewis wasn't following the rules of his probation, documents show.
Though the company, Total Sentencing Alternatives Program, recommended that Lewis be ejected from the monitoring program as a result -- a move that likely would have landed him in a juvenile detention center -- that didn't occur, allowing him to roam the streets on the night of Jan. 17, when Wendy Byrne was killed.
Juvenile Judge David Bell, who handled Lewis' case, said bad timing made it impossible for him to act immediately on the company's recommendation.
TSAP did not file its letter until the day of a previously scheduled review hearing for Lewis, which meant the court could not grant the company's request to remove him from electronic monitoring, according to Bell.
The judge said any request to change a juvenile delinquent's status must be filed 72 hours before a hearing to allow attorneys on both sides to prepare arguments.
"If provided notice, the court could have handled the matter, " Bell said. "Does that mean I would have revoked him that day? I don't know."
Lewis, who has been in the Orleans Parish jail since he was booked in Byrne's killing, was on probation in juvenile court after a property crime conviction, Bell said.
Reggie Douglas, who turned 16 while in jail, is accused of shooting Byrne. Lewis and 14-year-old Ernest Cloud allegedly accompanied Douglas to the French Quarter to pull off armed robberies, police said. Under state law, each of the teens potentially faces murder charges, regardless of their roles in the crime.
None of them have been formally charged. Cloud's case remains in juvenile court until he is declared competent to assist with his defense. The Orleans Parish district attorney's office has about two more weeks to obtain a grand jury indictment of Lewis and Douglas on murder charges, or refuse the case.
The electronic monitoring program has been the subject of some criticism in the past year, with the debate reignited by recent cases involving suspects in violent crimes who were wearing ankle bracelets. But proponents have called electronic monitoring an effective tool for allowing some defendants to get out of jail to attend school or work, while still providing a measure of oversight before trial or on probation.
The city plans to rebid the contract to provide monitoring for the various courts but has not yet done so.
Lewis was placed on probation in early December after his adjudication for the nonviolent property crime, details of which Bell would not disclose. As part of his probation, the juvenile was given an ankle bracelet and a curfew restricting his night movements. According to a TSAP letter and Bell's court judgment obtained by The Times-Picayune, Lewis didn't comply with the terms of his probation and was in trouble at school.
The judgment noted that Lewis had been suspended for being disrespectful at school, that he skipped school and "had been shot by a friend that was playing with a gun." Bell said he didn't have any other details about the gun accident.
A letter dated Jan. 12 and filed into the court record Jan. 13 by TSAP noted that Lewis had failed to consistently charge the battery on his ankle bracelet, which was capable of tracking his location through global positioning satellite software. That meant the company couldn't always say where Lewis had been or whether he was complying with his curfew, according to the letter.
The letter was received by the court on the day of the scheduled hearing, Bell said. Instead of immediately revoking Lewis' probation, he set the case for another hearing on Feb. 3 and placed the teenager on house arrest. Lewis was not supposed to leave his house except to attend school or move about with his mother.
The revocation hearing was set for three weeks after the status hearing that revealed Lewis' problems because that was when all the lawyers could be present, Bell said. The state Office of Juvenile Justice, which had supervised Lewis' probation for less than six weeks, also asked for more time to work with him, he said.
Many juveniles placed on probation quickly violate restrictions, ignoring mandates that they attend school and participate in court-ordered programs, Bell said. Judges must balance the potential public safety threat of a youth with the goal of pushing the young person onto the right track, he said.
Bell reiterated his earlier complaint that TSAP hasn't provided the court with timely notice when youths, including Lewis, are not complying with court-ordered restrictions on their movements.
Too often the judge doesn't find out about a violation until another month passes, Bell said. That point was reiterated by Ilona Picou, head of Juvenile Regional Services, the public defenders at juvenile court, who added that electronic monitoring needs to be coupled with more intensive case management.
After the Saturday night Lewis was in the French Quarter, during the time of the Wendy Byrne killing, the court never received notification of the violation, Bell said.
William Welch, chief executive officer of TSAP, said he can't dispute Bell's explanation of court rules and the necessity of filing revocations 72 hours before hearings.
But Welch said his company regularly files notices of electronic monitoring violations at court, including in Lewis' case. If the company thinks violations are severe enough that a judge needs to act right away, a case manager will file the request the next day, he said.
. . . . . . .
Laura Maggi can be reached at lmaggi@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3316.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sex offender kills teen while under GPS monitoring
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/12/sex.offender.gps/
By Eliott C. McLaughlin and Patrick OppmannCNN
VANCOUVER, Washington (CNN) -- When 13-year-old Alycia Nipp didn't come home from a trip to Wal-Mart, her family had no idea where she was, but a tracking device was transmitting the location of her alleged killer.
Alycia Nipp, 13, was a free spirit, her aunt says, and liked to collect neon drinking straws.
The quirky seventh-grader, who went by "Licy," could tell you the origin of every neon drinking straw in her collection and she "sewed buttons on everything," said her aunt, Amber Hager.
Her family thinks her free-spirited nature may be the reason she walked through a field popular with transients -- a field she'd been warned to stay away from and where her body was found February 22.
Licy's family had reason to be cautious. Hager was raped twice as a teen and Licy's grandmother was kidnapped as a child, Hager said, so the family was extra vigilant with Licy and Hager's young daughters.
"We all made Licy the promise that it would never happen to her. The cycle would end," said Hager, who is acting as family spokeswoman. "Now we're left wondering: What didn't we say? What didn't we do? How come she didn't listen?" Watch Hager advise parents to keep kids close »
Darrin Sanford, 30, was one of several homeless people living near the field in an abandoned home slated for demolition, police said.
He was convicted in 1998 of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and luring minors with sexual motivation; he was sentenced to probation, said a Clark County sheriff's report. When he was released from jail in January, following a November probation violation, Sanford was fitted with a global positioning tracking unit on his ankle, according to the Washington Department of Corrections. Learn more about the device Sanford wore »
Sanford was wearing the device seven weeks later when he tried to rape Licy before beating and stabbing her in a field a couple of blocks from the street where she lived, according to police.
Authorities said they used GPS to corroborate Sanford's confession. A Clark County judge this week postponed his arraignment until June so the defense and prosecution can prepare for death penalty arguments.
Sanford's defense attorney Michael Foister declined to comment on the allegations against his client.
Debate over GPS
The slaying rocked the enclave of Hazel Dell in Vancouver, a 15-minute drive from Portland, Oregon, and serves as fodder for those who claim GPS is used too broadly and bluntly as a tool for keeping tabs on offenders.
"They can't monitor it live, and even if you could monitor it live, him being in the field wouldn't have told you [if] he was murdering the girl," said Evan Mayo-Wilson, an Oxford University lecturer who has studied the use of GPS.
There are two types of GPS monitoring: active, in which the offender's whereabouts are surveyed in real-time, and passive, in which probation or parole officers check an offender's movements after the fact.
Sanford was passively monitored, said Anmarie Aylward, the Washington DOC's program administrator. Watch Aylward explain how Sanford was monitored »
Sanford's History
Darrin Eugene Sanford was convicted in 1998 of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and two counts of luring minors with sexual motivation. He was placed on probation, which he violated three times before he was arrested in connection with Alycia Nipp's murder:
• On November 15, 2006, Sanford was jailed for failing to register as a sex offender. He was released July 31, 2008, and ordered to wear a GPS anklet.
• He was then detained August 20 for being in contact with a minor and failing to register. He was released October 19, again with an ankle bracelet.
• On November 24, authorities arrested Sanford for a misdemeanor property violation. He was released with a GPS device January 3, just 49 days before Licy's murder.
-- Source: Washington Department of Corrections
Both types of GPS are important tools for law enforcement, Mayo-Wilson said, but the technology must be coupled with other efforts to reduce recidivism, including treatment programs, personal visits and interviews with neighbors, family members and employers.
Sex offenders should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and supervision programs must be based on fluid assessments that weigh the likelihood of reoffense, said Peter Ibarra, a sociologist at the University of Illinois-Chicago who studies the use of GPS in stalking and domestic violence cases.
"You have to use it very responsibly," Ibarra said. "It's a technology that cannot stand alone, especially if you're thinking about using it with offenders who imperil the public."
Sanford was registered as a Level 3 sex offender, the category considered most likely to reoffend, according to the Clark County Sheriff's Office. He was listed as homeless on the state sex offender registry, one of 34 transient sex offenders in Clark County. There are eight homeless Level 3 offenders registered in Clark County. See how each state handles GPS monitoring of sex offenders »
Sanford was living in a vacant home near an overgrown field where Licy's parents sometimes played paintball. The field, littered with trash, has "No Dumping" signs along its periphery and is buttressed by fast-food joints, Chinese restaurants and strip malls. The air smells of frying oil.
Resident Nick Holden, whose daughter was Licy's friend, told The Oregonian newspaper that the field was a popular shortcut -- "a kid highway." Though it wasn't necessarily deemed unsafe, he told the paper, "you ask the kids to not go alone."
Licy was told just that, but on February 21, as she and a friend returned from Wal-Mart, Licy said she wanted to cut through the field. Her friend declined, Hager said.
Police: Sanford unsure of his weapon
Sanford told detectives he met Licy near the vacant homes and walked with her to an isolated area of the field, police said. There, he attempted to have intercourse with her "but wasn't able to complete the sexual act," according to the probable cause affidavit filed in court. Watch Sanford's mother say she wishes he was dead »
"After she giggled at him," continued the affidavit, "he was overcome with a violent rage and hit her with something in the back. She turned to face him and he kept hitting her, knocking her to the ground."
Sanford told police he wasn't sure what he hit her with -- maybe a stick, knife or beer bottle, the affidavit said. The 180-pound Sanford left the body but came back later and moved Licy, a scant 100 pounds, to an area where her stepfather found her early the next morning, according to the affidavit.
"His GPS unit verified that he was in the area and his movements," the affidavit said.
Attempts by CNN to reach Licy's mother and stepfather, Maranda and Jason Hannah, were unsuccessful.
On the day before his 20th birthday in 1998, Sanford was placed on probation. According to a sheriff's office report, a group of minors, ages 8 to 11, reported that Sanford had offered them money for oral sex. The youngsters fled, but Sanford approached them again in a sparsely wooded area of the playground, asking them if they wanted to go home with him to "play house," the report said.
Sanford violated his probation three times between November 2006 and November 2008, the DOC said. When he was released in January, he was required to check in daily with a probation officer, which he did the day before Licy's murder and the day after her body was found.
Technology, offenders misunderstood
Experts say GPS can create a false sense of security because its capabilities are overestimated. Jill Levenson, an associate professor of human sciences at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, said many people believe it is "some magic bullet or panacea that prevents crimes."
Levenson also concurs with other experts who say the technology is used too sweepingly. Twenty-seven states have some mandatory requirement that the devices be used on sex offenders, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Only six states have no specific provisions for such monitoring. See data »
Most sex offenders are neither violent nor pedophiles, and they re-offend in about one of 20 cases, said Levenson, who studies sex crime policy.
Because the media focus on the most sensational crimes, politicians often focus their energies on combating the violent incidents rather than the more common occurrences, such as people being sexually assaulted by those they know, she said.
UIC's Ibarra called it a "knee-jerk reaction" by lawmakers. He said he notices that "legislators often propose this kind of [GPS] requirement in the aftermath of some notorious act."
Added Oxford's Mayo-Wilson, "[GPS] could be used effectively to help shape behavior, but it's being used too bluntly."
GPS is more likely to work with low-level offenders while the technology's deterrent effect on the most dangerous perpetrators is limited, Levenson said.
Don't Miss
KGW: Hazel Dell residents outraged
KPTV: Friends say goodbye to slain teen
KPTV: Homeless man arrested in teen's death
"[GPS] is not necessarily going to deter people from having sexually deviant intentions," she said. "Many crimes are more impulsive and opportunistic, and that level of thinking may not go into it."
Homelessness itself poses problems among sex offenders because unstable living conditions can increase recidivism, Levenson said. Many states have enacted laws limiting where sex offenders can live, forcing more offenders to the streets.
According to a 2007 report by the Council of State Governments, 29 states have residency restrictions for sex offenders. Washington, which the DOC says is home to about 300 homeless sex offenders, forbids them from living within 880 feet of a school or daycare.
An example of residency restrictions exacerbating the problem is in California, said Robert Coombs of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Since 2007, when California implemented its version of Jessica's Law -- which bars registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school, park or places where children congregate -- homelessness among paroled sex offenders spiked 800 percent, Coombs said.
In large metro areas like Los Angeles and San Francisco, "the concentration of schools and parks is so high, the entire jurisdiction becomes largely off limits for housing," Coombs said.
The Justice Department did not respond to repeated requests to discuss the number of homeless sex offenders in the nation, but in California there are about 65,000 registered sex offenders, of which 3,267 are homeless, according to California's Sex Offender Management Board.
It's not only costly and unfeasible to monitor sex offenders, but allowing them to remain homeless increases their stress levels and instability, Coombs said. It makes for a "really dangerous cocktail when it comes to public safety," he said.
Connecticut reviews GPS policy
Bill Carbone, executive director of the Court Support Services Division of Connecticut's Judicial Branch, said the state recently reviewed its use of GPS.
Connecticut, which monitors more than 2,000 offenders, revamped its GPS monitoring after acknowledging the technology had its shortcomings, including error messages, lost signals and susceptibility to manipulation, Carbone said.
Coombs and Carbone also note that charging the devices can be problematic when the offender has no home.
"To some extent, it's been oversold and misunderstood," Carbone said. "I think it is a tool -- not the sole tool -- needed for proper supervision of offenders."
Hager said she is pleased authorities were able to use Sanford's GPS bracelet to make a swift arrest in her niece's slaying, but it makes her angry that a homeless, convicted sex offender was allowed to hang out in a field frequented by children.
Licy's family may never know why she cut through the field, and many other questions about her murder may remain unanswered. Hager said her niece's accused killer should answer one of them.
"My daughters keep asking, 'Why did the angels take Licy? If we pray hard enough will they bring her back?' " Hager said. "I just want to tell him, 'You explain to my daughters what happened to their cousin.'
By Eliott C. McLaughlin and Patrick OppmannCNN
VANCOUVER, Washington (CNN) -- When 13-year-old Alycia Nipp didn't come home from a trip to Wal-Mart, her family had no idea where she was, but a tracking device was transmitting the location of her alleged killer.
Alycia Nipp, 13, was a free spirit, her aunt says, and liked to collect neon drinking straws.
The quirky seventh-grader, who went by "Licy," could tell you the origin of every neon drinking straw in her collection and she "sewed buttons on everything," said her aunt, Amber Hager.
Her family thinks her free-spirited nature may be the reason she walked through a field popular with transients -- a field she'd been warned to stay away from and where her body was found February 22.
Licy's family had reason to be cautious. Hager was raped twice as a teen and Licy's grandmother was kidnapped as a child, Hager said, so the family was extra vigilant with Licy and Hager's young daughters.
"We all made Licy the promise that it would never happen to her. The cycle would end," said Hager, who is acting as family spokeswoman. "Now we're left wondering: What didn't we say? What didn't we do? How come she didn't listen?" Watch Hager advise parents to keep kids close »
Darrin Sanford, 30, was one of several homeless people living near the field in an abandoned home slated for demolition, police said.
He was convicted in 1998 of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and luring minors with sexual motivation; he was sentenced to probation, said a Clark County sheriff's report. When he was released from jail in January, following a November probation violation, Sanford was fitted with a global positioning tracking unit on his ankle, according to the Washington Department of Corrections. Learn more about the device Sanford wore »
Sanford was wearing the device seven weeks later when he tried to rape Licy before beating and stabbing her in a field a couple of blocks from the street where she lived, according to police.
Authorities said they used GPS to corroborate Sanford's confession. A Clark County judge this week postponed his arraignment until June so the defense and prosecution can prepare for death penalty arguments.
Sanford's defense attorney Michael Foister declined to comment on the allegations against his client.
Debate over GPS
The slaying rocked the enclave of Hazel Dell in Vancouver, a 15-minute drive from Portland, Oregon, and serves as fodder for those who claim GPS is used too broadly and bluntly as a tool for keeping tabs on offenders.
"They can't monitor it live, and even if you could monitor it live, him being in the field wouldn't have told you [if] he was murdering the girl," said Evan Mayo-Wilson, an Oxford University lecturer who has studied the use of GPS.
There are two types of GPS monitoring: active, in which the offender's whereabouts are surveyed in real-time, and passive, in which probation or parole officers check an offender's movements after the fact.
Sanford was passively monitored, said Anmarie Aylward, the Washington DOC's program administrator. Watch Aylward explain how Sanford was monitored »
Sanford's History
Darrin Eugene Sanford was convicted in 1998 of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and two counts of luring minors with sexual motivation. He was placed on probation, which he violated three times before he was arrested in connection with Alycia Nipp's murder:
• On November 15, 2006, Sanford was jailed for failing to register as a sex offender. He was released July 31, 2008, and ordered to wear a GPS anklet.
• He was then detained August 20 for being in contact with a minor and failing to register. He was released October 19, again with an ankle bracelet.
• On November 24, authorities arrested Sanford for a misdemeanor property violation. He was released with a GPS device January 3, just 49 days before Licy's murder.
-- Source: Washington Department of Corrections
Both types of GPS are important tools for law enforcement, Mayo-Wilson said, but the technology must be coupled with other efforts to reduce recidivism, including treatment programs, personal visits and interviews with neighbors, family members and employers.
Sex offenders should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and supervision programs must be based on fluid assessments that weigh the likelihood of reoffense, said Peter Ibarra, a sociologist at the University of Illinois-Chicago who studies the use of GPS in stalking and domestic violence cases.
"You have to use it very responsibly," Ibarra said. "It's a technology that cannot stand alone, especially if you're thinking about using it with offenders who imperil the public."
Sanford was registered as a Level 3 sex offender, the category considered most likely to reoffend, according to the Clark County Sheriff's Office. He was listed as homeless on the state sex offender registry, one of 34 transient sex offenders in Clark County. There are eight homeless Level 3 offenders registered in Clark County. See how each state handles GPS monitoring of sex offenders »
Sanford was living in a vacant home near an overgrown field where Licy's parents sometimes played paintball. The field, littered with trash, has "No Dumping" signs along its periphery and is buttressed by fast-food joints, Chinese restaurants and strip malls. The air smells of frying oil.
Resident Nick Holden, whose daughter was Licy's friend, told The Oregonian newspaper that the field was a popular shortcut -- "a kid highway." Though it wasn't necessarily deemed unsafe, he told the paper, "you ask the kids to not go alone."
Licy was told just that, but on February 21, as she and a friend returned from Wal-Mart, Licy said she wanted to cut through the field. Her friend declined, Hager said.
Police: Sanford unsure of his weapon
Sanford told detectives he met Licy near the vacant homes and walked with her to an isolated area of the field, police said. There, he attempted to have intercourse with her "but wasn't able to complete the sexual act," according to the probable cause affidavit filed in court. Watch Sanford's mother say she wishes he was dead »
"After she giggled at him," continued the affidavit, "he was overcome with a violent rage and hit her with something in the back. She turned to face him and he kept hitting her, knocking her to the ground."
Sanford told police he wasn't sure what he hit her with -- maybe a stick, knife or beer bottle, the affidavit said. The 180-pound Sanford left the body but came back later and moved Licy, a scant 100 pounds, to an area where her stepfather found her early the next morning, according to the affidavit.
"His GPS unit verified that he was in the area and his movements," the affidavit said.
Attempts by CNN to reach Licy's mother and stepfather, Maranda and Jason Hannah, were unsuccessful.
On the day before his 20th birthday in 1998, Sanford was placed on probation. According to a sheriff's office report, a group of minors, ages 8 to 11, reported that Sanford had offered them money for oral sex. The youngsters fled, but Sanford approached them again in a sparsely wooded area of the playground, asking them if they wanted to go home with him to "play house," the report said.
Sanford violated his probation three times between November 2006 and November 2008, the DOC said. When he was released in January, he was required to check in daily with a probation officer, which he did the day before Licy's murder and the day after her body was found.
Technology, offenders misunderstood
Experts say GPS can create a false sense of security because its capabilities are overestimated. Jill Levenson, an associate professor of human sciences at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, said many people believe it is "some magic bullet or panacea that prevents crimes."
Levenson also concurs with other experts who say the technology is used too sweepingly. Twenty-seven states have some mandatory requirement that the devices be used on sex offenders, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Only six states have no specific provisions for such monitoring. See data »
Most sex offenders are neither violent nor pedophiles, and they re-offend in about one of 20 cases, said Levenson, who studies sex crime policy.
Because the media focus on the most sensational crimes, politicians often focus their energies on combating the violent incidents rather than the more common occurrences, such as people being sexually assaulted by those they know, she said.
UIC's Ibarra called it a "knee-jerk reaction" by lawmakers. He said he notices that "legislators often propose this kind of [GPS] requirement in the aftermath of some notorious act."
Added Oxford's Mayo-Wilson, "[GPS] could be used effectively to help shape behavior, but it's being used too bluntly."
GPS is more likely to work with low-level offenders while the technology's deterrent effect on the most dangerous perpetrators is limited, Levenson said.
Don't Miss
KGW: Hazel Dell residents outraged
KPTV: Friends say goodbye to slain teen
KPTV: Homeless man arrested in teen's death
"[GPS] is not necessarily going to deter people from having sexually deviant intentions," she said. "Many crimes are more impulsive and opportunistic, and that level of thinking may not go into it."
Homelessness itself poses problems among sex offenders because unstable living conditions can increase recidivism, Levenson said. Many states have enacted laws limiting where sex offenders can live, forcing more offenders to the streets.
According to a 2007 report by the Council of State Governments, 29 states have residency restrictions for sex offenders. Washington, which the DOC says is home to about 300 homeless sex offenders, forbids them from living within 880 feet of a school or daycare.
An example of residency restrictions exacerbating the problem is in California, said Robert Coombs of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Since 2007, when California implemented its version of Jessica's Law -- which bars registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school, park or places where children congregate -- homelessness among paroled sex offenders spiked 800 percent, Coombs said.
In large metro areas like Los Angeles and San Francisco, "the concentration of schools and parks is so high, the entire jurisdiction becomes largely off limits for housing," Coombs said.
The Justice Department did not respond to repeated requests to discuss the number of homeless sex offenders in the nation, but in California there are about 65,000 registered sex offenders, of which 3,267 are homeless, according to California's Sex Offender Management Board.
It's not only costly and unfeasible to monitor sex offenders, but allowing them to remain homeless increases their stress levels and instability, Coombs said. It makes for a "really dangerous cocktail when it comes to public safety," he said.
Connecticut reviews GPS policy
Bill Carbone, executive director of the Court Support Services Division of Connecticut's Judicial Branch, said the state recently reviewed its use of GPS.
Connecticut, which monitors more than 2,000 offenders, revamped its GPS monitoring after acknowledging the technology had its shortcomings, including error messages, lost signals and susceptibility to manipulation, Carbone said.
Coombs and Carbone also note that charging the devices can be problematic when the offender has no home.
"To some extent, it's been oversold and misunderstood," Carbone said. "I think it is a tool -- not the sole tool -- needed for proper supervision of offenders."
Hager said she is pleased authorities were able to use Sanford's GPS bracelet to make a swift arrest in her niece's slaying, but it makes her angry that a homeless, convicted sex offender was allowed to hang out in a field frequented by children.
Licy's family may never know why she cut through the field, and many other questions about her murder may remain unanswered. Hager said her niece's accused killer should answer one of them.
"My daughters keep asking, 'Why did the angels take Licy? If we pray hard enough will they bring her back?' " Hager said. "I just want to tell him, 'You explain to my daughters what happened to their cousin.'
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in DV Victims
http://tva.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/2/99
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Victims of Domestic Violence
A Review of the Research LORING JONES
San Diego State University
MARGARET HUGHES
San Diego State University
ULRIKE UNTERSTALLER
San Diego State University
The objectives of this research were to analyze data from literature based on studies of battered women to determine (a) the correlation of domestic violence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), (b) the best treatment strategies for PTSD, and (c) the evidence of PTSD treatment effectiveness with battered women. Findings were (a) symptoms of battered women are consistent with PTSD symptoms; (b) certain populations are at higher risk of developing PTSD symptoms; (c) intensity, duration, and perception of the battering experience is a significant factor in the severity of the PTSD symptoms; (d) demographic variables influence PTSD severity; (e) standardized PTSD assessment is needed by professionals working with women experiencing domestic violence; (f) there is a need for greater public health involvement for prevention, identification, and medical treatment of domestic violence and PTSD; and (g) certain treatment strategies are recommended for PTSD but lack rigorous testing of their efficacy.
Key Words: post-traumatic stress disorder • domestic violence • battering
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Victims of Domestic Violence
A Review of the Research LORING JONES
San Diego State University
MARGARET HUGHES
San Diego State University
ULRIKE UNTERSTALLER
San Diego State University
The objectives of this research were to analyze data from literature based on studies of battered women to determine (a) the correlation of domestic violence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), (b) the best treatment strategies for PTSD, and (c) the evidence of PTSD treatment effectiveness with battered women. Findings were (a) symptoms of battered women are consistent with PTSD symptoms; (b) certain populations are at higher risk of developing PTSD symptoms; (c) intensity, duration, and perception of the battering experience is a significant factor in the severity of the PTSD symptoms; (d) demographic variables influence PTSD severity; (e) standardized PTSD assessment is needed by professionals working with women experiencing domestic violence; (f) there is a need for greater public health involvement for prevention, identification, and medical treatment of domestic violence and PTSD; and (g) certain treatment strategies are recommended for PTSD but lack rigorous testing of their efficacy.
Key Words: post-traumatic stress disorder • domestic violence • battering
Monday, March 16, 2009
Arrests show limits of ankle bracelets
Home incarceration isn't really all it's made out to be. Wendy Byrne didn't get a chance to voice her opinion. Instead, she lost her life, brutally executed in New Orleans. One of the killers was on house arrest. Imagine a teenager whose records were sealed because he is a minor- potentially being the trigger man. He was on HOUSE ARREST. Please read the article posted below. Wendy wasn't killed in a domestic violence dispute. But, the point of this article is clear. HOUSE ARREST isn't what most people believe it is. HOUSE ARREST gives violent criminals time out of jail to live their lives with minimal restrictions. Those whose lives are threatened have few rights. The person on HOUSE ARREST can come and go- causing the victims to fear leaving home. We must fight for legislation before more of us who have been threatened with our lives become statistics in the growing number of people who have cried out for help and ended up dead.
Article from the Times Picayune:http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-1/123700811019930.xml&coll=1
Article from the Times Picayune:http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-1/123700811019930.xml&coll=1
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Domestic Violence Suspects to be Charged in New Orleans state court
Starting Sunday, domestic violence suspects to be charged in New Orleans state court
by Molly Reid, The Times-Picayune
Saturday March 07, 2009, 11:19 AM
Beginning Sunday, the New Orleans Police Department will arrest domestic violence suspects on state battery charges, rather than booking them in violation of city ordinances.
The move will shift domestic violence cases from municipal to criminal district court, where prosecution poses a greater threat of jail time. Through the municipal system, alleged batterers -- even repeat offenders -- were often summoned to court rather than arrested, advocates of the change have said. Defendants who pled guilty often were given probation and required to attend an intervention class, meaning that sometimes multiple offenders -- including some who inflicted serious physical harm to their victims -- never spent a day in jail, said Tania Tetlow of Tulane Law School's domestic violence clinic. The policy shift could also encourage victims to play a greater role in prosecutions, advocates have said.
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http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/starting_sunday_domestic_viole_1.html
by Molly Reid, The Times-Picayune
Saturday March 07, 2009, 11:19 AM
Beginning Sunday, the New Orleans Police Department will arrest domestic violence suspects on state battery charges, rather than booking them in violation of city ordinances.
The move will shift domestic violence cases from municipal to criminal district court, where prosecution poses a greater threat of jail time. Through the municipal system, alleged batterers -- even repeat offenders -- were often summoned to court rather than arrested, advocates of the change have said. Defendants who pled guilty often were given probation and required to attend an intervention class, meaning that sometimes multiple offenders -- including some who inflicted serious physical harm to their victims -- never spent a day in jail, said Tania Tetlow of Tulane Law School's domestic violence clinic. The policy shift could also encourage victims to play a greater role in prosecutions, advocates have said.
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http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/starting_sunday_domestic_viole_1.html
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Justice Interrupted Crime Investigation Radio Network
Justice Interrupted Crime Investigation Radio Network
Join Hosts: Prosecutor and Author Robin Sax, Police Officer and Author Stacy Dittrich, Advocate and Author Susan Murphy-Milano each week as they provide justice for those whose lives have been interupted by rape, murder, child sexual predators, strange and unexplained disappearances, domestic violence, and cold cases yet to be solved...
http://www.justiceinterrupted.blogspot.com/
Join Hosts: Prosecutor and Author Robin Sax, Police Officer and Author Stacy Dittrich, Advocate and Author Susan Murphy-Milano each week as they provide justice for those whose lives have been interupted by rape, murder, child sexual predators, strange and unexplained disappearances, domestic violence, and cold cases yet to be solved...
http://www.justiceinterrupted.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Cyberstalking and Women - Facts and Statistics
This article was published in January, 2009. Thanks Alexis A. Moore!
http://womensissues.about.com/od/violenceagainstwomen/a/CyberstalkingFS.htm
http://womensissues.about.com/od/violenceagainstwomen/a/CyberstalkingFS.htm
Cyberstalking
Many Domestic Violence offenders stalk their victims. Be prepared by educating yourself on the use of electronic communications so that you can protect yourself and your loved ones.
http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbName=DocumentViewer&DocumentID=32458
http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbName=DocumentViewer&DocumentID=32458
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Former Arcadia Assistant Chief Arrested- AGAIN- for Domestic Violence
Former Arcadia assistant chief arrested again
Shreveport Times, LA - Feb 22, 2009
By Vickie Welborn • http://us.mc903.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vwelborn@gannett.com • February 22, 2009 9:46 pm
DIA – Arcadia’s former assistant police chief Andre Rogers is in jail again.Rogers was arrested late Saturday night on a charge of domestic abuse battery after he hit and attempted to strangle his estranged wife, Bienville Parish Sheriff John Ballance said.The arrest is Rogers’ second in three months for a similar offense. In late November, Rogers was arrested by Arcadia police on a charge of simple battery after he pulled his estranged wife out of her vehicle and hit her.Rogers, a 12-year member of the force, spent a night in jail but two days later went to Town Hall, admitted his guilt and paid a $500 fine.In early December, the Arcadia Town Council approved Police Chief Victor Rogers’ recommendations that Andre Rogers be demoted to the rank of officer, take a cut in pay and attend anger management courses. His suspension extended through Dec. 31.Saturday night, a call was made to the Bienville sheriff’s dispatcher saying an officer was needed at Andre Rogers’ residence “right now,” Ballance said. A city police officer was dispatched and arrived within four minutes. The officer called the sheriff’s office for assistance.The victim told authorities that Andrew Rogers hit her in the chest and later attempted to strangler her. As officers took her statement, the woman’s 3-year-old child also demonstrated what happened, Ballance said.Andre Rogers, who had left his residence after the altercation with the woman, returned to the scene and was arrested. He was booked into the Bienville Parish Jail on a charge of domestic abuse battery. He remains there until a 72-hour hearing is held.
http://shreveporttimes.com/article/20090222/NEWS01/90222010
Arcadia police officer remains in jail on domestic abuse charge
Shreveport Times, LA By Vickie Welborn http://us.mc903.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vwelborn@gannett.com February 23, 2009 6:28 pm
ARCADIA — Arcadia Police Chief Victor Rogers has suspended one of his officers for the second time in less than three months.AdvertisementAnd he says he’ll take no further action against patrolman Andre Roger, whom he previously demoted from assistant police chief, until he has an opportunity to talk with him.Andre Rogers, whom the police chief says is no relation to him, sits in a jail cell charged with hitting and attempting to strangle his ex-wife over the weekend. No bond has been set.The police chief said he hopes Andre Rogers will resign. If not, a recommendation for disciplinary action, which could include termination, will be made to the Arcadia Town Council. No meeting has been set.“I want to talk to him first and see what the situation is,” Victor Rogers said when asked why he has not dismissed the officer who twice has been arrested on the same offense in a short span of time.Additionally, court records indicate Andre Rogers’ problems with his ex-wife did not start last year. In 2004, she was granted a temporary restraining order against him. The couple divorced in May 2004.Andre Rogers was jailed Saturday night on a charge of domestic abuse battery after the altercation with his ex-wife, Bienville Sheriff John Ballance said.Deputies made the arrest after an Arcadia police officer who was dispatched to Andre Rogers’ house after a call was made to the sheriff’s office’s dispatching center for assistance saw that one of the town’s officers was involved.That wasn’t the case Nov. 29, when Andre Rogers was arrested by Arcadia police on a lesser charge of simple battery for pulling his ex-wife out of her car and hitting her.Two days later, Andre Rogers went to Arcadia Town Hall, admitted his guilt and paid a $500 fine. The police chief said Andre Rogers did not get preferential treatment. Fines are preset for misdemeanor offenses and Andre Rogers was allowed to handle his case that way, Victor Rogers said in December.This time, Andre Rogers’ case will be prosecuted through Bienville District Court, Ballance said.As a result of the first arrest, three council members, acting upon the police chief’s recommendations, demoted Andre Rogers to patrolman from his supervisory role as assistant police chief in December. His mother, Maggie Roberson, is a council member but she did not participate in the discussion involving her son.In addition, Andre Rogers’ pay was reduced and he was ordered to attend anger management classes. Andre Rogers’ was suspended with pay through Dec. 31.Andre Rogers attended two anger management classes, the police chief said today. Andre Rogers provided a letter verifying his attendance “and the council released him to go back to work,” Victor Rogers added.As elected police chief, Victor Rogers has control over recommendations for hiring and firing of his police officers. He has suspended Andre Rogers with pay because it takes the council to make the suspension without pay, Victor Rogers said.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090223/NEWS03/90223030
Sheriff: No preferential treatment for arrested police officer
KTBS Created: February 22, 2009
Updated: February 23, 2009
An Arcadia police officer who has been arrested for domestic violence for the second time in less than three months will be prosecuted by the district attorney as authorities move to prevent the sweetheart deal he got on city charges the first time.Andre Rogers was arrested by Bienville Parish sheriff's deputies over the weekend on charges he choked his wife in front of their 3-year-old child.An Arcadia police officer called to Rogers' house Saturday night to investigate a family fight notified sheriff's deputies when he saw who the suspect was, Bienville Sheriff John Ballance said. Deputies arrested Rogers when he returned to his home and booked him into the Bienville Parish Jail.Ballance said bond for Rogers had not been set early this afternoon.Rogers was arrested last November on simple battery charges that alleged he hit his wife. He settled the matter quickly in Arcadia town court -- paying a fine the morning of the first business day after his arrest -- and was eventually allowed to return to work.At the time, Rogers was the assistant police chief. He was demoted to patrolman and suspended through the end of the year. The new charges will be prosecuted in Bienville District Court and will be handled by the district attorney's office, Ballance said.Ballance said the couple is divorced but are living together.Arcadia Police Chief Victor Rogers did not return a call for comment today.Jones said after the earlier arrest that his assistant chief did not get preferential treatment by settling the case quickly. There are provisions in the way city court operates that would allow people charged with certain offenses to go ahead and pay their fines, he said.
http://www.ktbs.com/news/Sheriff-No-preferential-treatment-for-arrested-police-officer-26348/
Arcadia police officer remains in jail on domestic abuse charge
Shreveport Times
By Vickie Welborn
http://us.mc903.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vwelborn@gannett.com
February 24, 2009 2:00 am
ARCADIA — Arcadia Police Chief Victor Rogers has suspended one of his officers for the second time in less than three months.And he says he'll take no further action against Patrolman Andre Roger, whom he previously demoted from assistant police chief, until he has an opportunity to talk with him.Andre Rogers, whom the police chief says is no relation to him, sits in a jail cell charged with hitting and attempting to strangle his ex-wife over the weekend. No bond has been set.The police chief said he hopes Andre Rogers will resign. If not, a recommendation for disciplinary action, which could include termination, will be made to the Arcadia Town Council. No meeting has been set."I want to talk to him first and see what the situation is," Victor Rogers said when asked why he has not dismissed the officer who twice has been arrested on the same offense in a short span of time.Additionally, court records indicate Andre Rogers' problems with his ex-wife did not start last year. In 2004, she was granted a temporary restraining order against him. The couple divorced in May 2004.Andre Rogers was jailed Saturday night on a charge of domestic abuse battery after the altercation with his ex-wife, Bienville Sheriff John Ballance said.Deputies made the arrest after an Arcadia police officer, who was dispatched to Andre Rogers' house after a call was made to the sheriff's office's dispatching center for assistance, saw that one of the town's officers was involved.That wasn't the case Nov. 29, when Andre Rogers was arrested by Arcadia police on a lesser charge of simple battery for pulling his ex-wife out of her car and hitting her.Two days later, Andre Rogers went to Arcadia Town Hall, admitted his guilt and paid a $500 fine. The police chief said Andre Rogers did not get preferential treatment. Fines are preset for misdemeanor offenses and Andre Rogers was allowed to handle his case that way, Victor Rogers said in December.This time, Andre Rogers' case will be prosecuted through Bienville District Court, Ballance said.As a result of the first arrest, three council members, acting upon the police chief's recommendations, demoted Andre Rogers to patrolman from his supervisory role as assistant police chief in December. His mother, Maggie Roberson, is a council member but she did not participate in the discussion involving her son.In addition, Andre Rogers' pay was reduced and he was ordered to attend anger management classes. Andre Rogers' was suspended with pay through Dec. 31.Andre Rogers attended two anger management classes, the police chief said Monday. Andre Rogers provided a letter verifying his attendance "and the council released him to go back to work," Victor Rogers added.As elected police chief, Victor Rogers has control over recommendations for hiring and firing of his police officers. He has suspended Andre Rogers with pay because it takes the council to make the suspension without pay, Victor Rogers said.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090224/NEWS03/902240328
Shreveport Times, LA - Feb 22, 2009
By Vickie Welborn • http://us.mc903.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vwelborn@gannett.com • February 22, 2009 9:46 pm
DIA – Arcadia’s former assistant police chief Andre Rogers is in jail again.Rogers was arrested late Saturday night on a charge of domestic abuse battery after he hit and attempted to strangle his estranged wife, Bienville Parish Sheriff John Ballance said.The arrest is Rogers’ second in three months for a similar offense. In late November, Rogers was arrested by Arcadia police on a charge of simple battery after he pulled his estranged wife out of her vehicle and hit her.Rogers, a 12-year member of the force, spent a night in jail but two days later went to Town Hall, admitted his guilt and paid a $500 fine.In early December, the Arcadia Town Council approved Police Chief Victor Rogers’ recommendations that Andre Rogers be demoted to the rank of officer, take a cut in pay and attend anger management courses. His suspension extended through Dec. 31.Saturday night, a call was made to the Bienville sheriff’s dispatcher saying an officer was needed at Andre Rogers’ residence “right now,” Ballance said. A city police officer was dispatched and arrived within four minutes. The officer called the sheriff’s office for assistance.The victim told authorities that Andrew Rogers hit her in the chest and later attempted to strangler her. As officers took her statement, the woman’s 3-year-old child also demonstrated what happened, Ballance said.Andre Rogers, who had left his residence after the altercation with the woman, returned to the scene and was arrested. He was booked into the Bienville Parish Jail on a charge of domestic abuse battery. He remains there until a 72-hour hearing is held.
http://shreveporttimes.com/article/20090222/NEWS01/90222010
Arcadia police officer remains in jail on domestic abuse charge
Shreveport Times, LA By Vickie Welborn http://us.mc903.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vwelborn@gannett.com February 23, 2009 6:28 pm
ARCADIA — Arcadia Police Chief Victor Rogers has suspended one of his officers for the second time in less than three months.AdvertisementAnd he says he’ll take no further action against patrolman Andre Roger, whom he previously demoted from assistant police chief, until he has an opportunity to talk with him.Andre Rogers, whom the police chief says is no relation to him, sits in a jail cell charged with hitting and attempting to strangle his ex-wife over the weekend. No bond has been set.The police chief said he hopes Andre Rogers will resign. If not, a recommendation for disciplinary action, which could include termination, will be made to the Arcadia Town Council. No meeting has been set.“I want to talk to him first and see what the situation is,” Victor Rogers said when asked why he has not dismissed the officer who twice has been arrested on the same offense in a short span of time.Additionally, court records indicate Andre Rogers’ problems with his ex-wife did not start last year. In 2004, she was granted a temporary restraining order against him. The couple divorced in May 2004.Andre Rogers was jailed Saturday night on a charge of domestic abuse battery after the altercation with his ex-wife, Bienville Sheriff John Ballance said.Deputies made the arrest after an Arcadia police officer who was dispatched to Andre Rogers’ house after a call was made to the sheriff’s office’s dispatching center for assistance saw that one of the town’s officers was involved.That wasn’t the case Nov. 29, when Andre Rogers was arrested by Arcadia police on a lesser charge of simple battery for pulling his ex-wife out of her car and hitting her.Two days later, Andre Rogers went to Arcadia Town Hall, admitted his guilt and paid a $500 fine. The police chief said Andre Rogers did not get preferential treatment. Fines are preset for misdemeanor offenses and Andre Rogers was allowed to handle his case that way, Victor Rogers said in December.This time, Andre Rogers’ case will be prosecuted through Bienville District Court, Ballance said.As a result of the first arrest, three council members, acting upon the police chief’s recommendations, demoted Andre Rogers to patrolman from his supervisory role as assistant police chief in December. His mother, Maggie Roberson, is a council member but she did not participate in the discussion involving her son.In addition, Andre Rogers’ pay was reduced and he was ordered to attend anger management classes. Andre Rogers’ was suspended with pay through Dec. 31.Andre Rogers attended two anger management classes, the police chief said today. Andre Rogers provided a letter verifying his attendance “and the council released him to go back to work,” Victor Rogers added.As elected police chief, Victor Rogers has control over recommendations for hiring and firing of his police officers. He has suspended Andre Rogers with pay because it takes the council to make the suspension without pay, Victor Rogers said.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090223/NEWS03/90223030
Sheriff: No preferential treatment for arrested police officer
KTBS Created: February 22, 2009
Updated: February 23, 2009
An Arcadia police officer who has been arrested for domestic violence for the second time in less than three months will be prosecuted by the district attorney as authorities move to prevent the sweetheart deal he got on city charges the first time.Andre Rogers was arrested by Bienville Parish sheriff's deputies over the weekend on charges he choked his wife in front of their 3-year-old child.An Arcadia police officer called to Rogers' house Saturday night to investigate a family fight notified sheriff's deputies when he saw who the suspect was, Bienville Sheriff John Ballance said. Deputies arrested Rogers when he returned to his home and booked him into the Bienville Parish Jail.Ballance said bond for Rogers had not been set early this afternoon.Rogers was arrested last November on simple battery charges that alleged he hit his wife. He settled the matter quickly in Arcadia town court -- paying a fine the morning of the first business day after his arrest -- and was eventually allowed to return to work.At the time, Rogers was the assistant police chief. He was demoted to patrolman and suspended through the end of the year. The new charges will be prosecuted in Bienville District Court and will be handled by the district attorney's office, Ballance said.Ballance said the couple is divorced but are living together.Arcadia Police Chief Victor Rogers did not return a call for comment today.Jones said after the earlier arrest that his assistant chief did not get preferential treatment by settling the case quickly. There are provisions in the way city court operates that would allow people charged with certain offenses to go ahead and pay their fines, he said.
http://www.ktbs.com/news/Sheriff-No-preferential-treatment-for-arrested-police-officer-26348/
Arcadia police officer remains in jail on domestic abuse charge
Shreveport Times
By Vickie Welborn
http://us.mc903.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vwelborn@gannett.com
February 24, 2009 2:00 am
ARCADIA — Arcadia Police Chief Victor Rogers has suspended one of his officers for the second time in less than three months.And he says he'll take no further action against Patrolman Andre Roger, whom he previously demoted from assistant police chief, until he has an opportunity to talk with him.Andre Rogers, whom the police chief says is no relation to him, sits in a jail cell charged with hitting and attempting to strangle his ex-wife over the weekend. No bond has been set.The police chief said he hopes Andre Rogers will resign. If not, a recommendation for disciplinary action, which could include termination, will be made to the Arcadia Town Council. No meeting has been set."I want to talk to him first and see what the situation is," Victor Rogers said when asked why he has not dismissed the officer who twice has been arrested on the same offense in a short span of time.Additionally, court records indicate Andre Rogers' problems with his ex-wife did not start last year. In 2004, she was granted a temporary restraining order against him. The couple divorced in May 2004.Andre Rogers was jailed Saturday night on a charge of domestic abuse battery after the altercation with his ex-wife, Bienville Sheriff John Ballance said.Deputies made the arrest after an Arcadia police officer, who was dispatched to Andre Rogers' house after a call was made to the sheriff's office's dispatching center for assistance, saw that one of the town's officers was involved.That wasn't the case Nov. 29, when Andre Rogers was arrested by Arcadia police on a lesser charge of simple battery for pulling his ex-wife out of her car and hitting her.Two days later, Andre Rogers went to Arcadia Town Hall, admitted his guilt and paid a $500 fine. The police chief said Andre Rogers did not get preferential treatment. Fines are preset for misdemeanor offenses and Andre Rogers was allowed to handle his case that way, Victor Rogers said in December.This time, Andre Rogers' case will be prosecuted through Bienville District Court, Ballance said.As a result of the first arrest, three council members, acting upon the police chief's recommendations, demoted Andre Rogers to patrolman from his supervisory role as assistant police chief in December. His mother, Maggie Roberson, is a council member but she did not participate in the discussion involving her son.In addition, Andre Rogers' pay was reduced and he was ordered to attend anger management classes. Andre Rogers' was suspended with pay through Dec. 31.Andre Rogers attended two anger management classes, the police chief said Monday. Andre Rogers provided a letter verifying his attendance "and the council released him to go back to work," Victor Rogers added.As elected police chief, Victor Rogers has control over recommendations for hiring and firing of his police officers. He has suspended Andre Rogers with pay because it takes the council to make the suspension without pay, Victor Rogers said.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090224/NEWS03/902240328
Thursday, February 19, 2009
PoliceDomesticViolence.com
A very good list of resources for OIDV victims that includes statistics.
http://policedomesticviolence.com/
Thanks to those of you who created this resource.
http://policedomesticviolence.com/
Thanks to those of you who created this resource.
Officer Involved Domestic Violence Network MySpace
Words can't describe the sadness....if only they would have listened. If only someone had heard their cries. If only....if only.
http://www.myspace.com/tacoma_taser
Let there be no more victims.
http://www.myspace.com/tacoma_taser
Let there be no more victims.
Int'l Association of Chief's of Police- Domestic Violence
This is a website for the International Association of Chief's of Police. Included is recommended protocol ("Model Policy Officer-Involved Domestic Violence, 2003") for law enforcement agencies to follow when there are incidences of OIDV
http://www.theiacp.org/
Policy: http://www.scribd.com/doc/358394/DomViolenceModelPolicy
Thanks Nancy Turner for developing and to you Susan Rhoades for sharing this very valuable information.
http://www.theiacp.org/
Policy: http://www.scribd.com/doc/358394/DomViolenceModelPolicy
Thanks Nancy Turner for developing and to you Susan Rhoades for sharing this very valuable information.
State of LA- Domestic Violence Resources
This link will take you to a list of resources available for victims of domestic violence in Louisiana.
http://www.aardvarc.org/dv/states/ladv.shtml
http://www.aardvarc.org/dv/states/ladv.shtml
Report Public Corruption- Louisiana
The Metropolitan Crime Commission: http://www.metropolitancrimecommission.org/
Metropolitan Battered Women's Program- Louisiana
There is help available. Don't wait until it's too late. Get help 24-7.
http://www.metrobatteredwomen.com/
http://www.metrobatteredwomen.com/
Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
A wonderful resource for residents of Louisiana who are victims of Domestic Violence:
http://www.lcadv.org/
http://www.lcadv.org/
A Link to Susan Murphy Milano's Website
This is a wonderful site. Please take some time to visit Susan's website.
http://murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/2008/11/abusive-cops-who-beat-kill-their-own.html
http://murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/2008/11/abusive-cops-who-beat-kill-their-own.html
Thank you Cloud Writer!
You are our angel! Thank you so very much for keeping this alive and achieving results.
http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/
http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/
Michigan Officer Involved Domestic Violence
Thanks, and God Bless you to all who've pushed for legislation and contributed to this site.
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/12/from-behind-blue-wall.html
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/12/from-behind-blue-wall.html
Crystal Judson
Thanks to some wonderful people, Crystal Judson's name will live in our memories forever. God bless her family, friends and supporters. She paid the ultimate price...
http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2008/07/another-power-positive-trickles-down.html
http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2008/07/another-power-positive-trickles-down.html
Officer Involved Domestic Violence
We are all powerful and it's up to us to speak out and fight for legislation that directly addresses how Officer Involved Domestic Violence cases are treated, investigated and prosecuted. How can we go to the law if our abusers are the law? Join me in fighting for legislation. Let's stop this craziness. Please e-mail your state senators, anyone in state government and be brave enough to fight for justice on a federal level. I've got a list that includes 629 cases of Officer Involved Domestic Homicides - thanks to so many who have dedicated countless hours to researching these cases- and thanks to them, I realized I wasn't alone. Combine that list with the thousands upon thousands of cases of physical and mental abuse that don't result in homicide, there is no way to ignore the fact that there is a growing epidemic.
I am a firm believer that most in law enforcement are honest, caring individuals who wear their badges with pride and dignity. Unfortunately, there are some out there who wear their badges to gain control over unsuspecting victims. I became one of those victims and I will spend the rest of my life fighting to stop this type of violence. I still have a voice and I will continue to fight for justice for all victims.
Please join me and support our mission to stop this type of violence. We can't do it alone. Please also join me in prayer that no one else will have to die or become a statistic of Officer Involved Domestic Violence. God bless every life lost and every life being tormented.
I am a firm believer that most in law enforcement are honest, caring individuals who wear their badges with pride and dignity. Unfortunately, there are some out there who wear their badges to gain control over unsuspecting victims. I became one of those victims and I will spend the rest of my life fighting to stop this type of violence. I still have a voice and I will continue to fight for justice for all victims.
Please join me and support our mission to stop this type of violence. We can't do it alone. Please also join me in prayer that no one else will have to die or become a statistic of Officer Involved Domestic Violence. God bless every life lost and every life being tormented.
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