Moving Beyond “Just the Facts, Ma’am:” Techniques for Investigating and Documenting Domestic Violence

For an officer, domestic violence is a call for service that is related to a specific instance of violence which may result in an arrest or criminal charges. For an officer, the domestic violence scene is chaotic, emotionally charged, and dangerous. For a victim, domestic violence is not an instance, but a pattern of abuse, coercive behaviors, and threats used by their partner to assert power and control over them. For a victim, their entire life is chaotic, emotionally charged, and dangerous.  

Police officers are often the first member of the criminal justice system to encounter a victim of domestic violence. The way in which the officer responds, the thoroughness of the investigation, and the quality of documentation has a direct impact on whether the case will be prosecuted successfully. For reports to convey the reality of a victim’s experience, they need to include more than just the “facts.”  In this training, participants will learn the dynamics of domestic violence, including power and control tactics, the impact of trauma on reporting, and the explanation behind counterintuitive victim behaviors. Participants will also learn techniques for interviewing and evidence collection at the scene. Finally, presenters will share how to properly capture and document investigations to raise prosecution and conviction rates.

Presenters

Justin Boardman is a retired police detective from the West Valley City Police Department in Utah. Det. Boardman, along with Donna Kelly, ESQ., co-authored a Trauma-Informed Victim Interview protocol for adult victims of sexual assault. This guideline uses the Neurobiology of Trauma to gain additional information to be used in an investigation and has been shown to increase prosecutions along with procedure changes. After retirement, Det. Boardman has focused on culture change within the community and presents and consults nationally and internationally on a variety of subjects.

Julie Germann is the founder of Finding the Right, LLC, where she provides training and technical assistance to improve responses to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. Ms. Germann is a former prosecutor with over a decade of experience prosecuting cases of violence against women and children. Ms. Germann has worked with sexual assault and child abuse multidisciplinary teams and trains nationally. She provides best practice reviews, and contributes to legislative advancements and policy manuals, such as the SART Toolkit published by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

3.75 hours of Continuing Professional Education has been applied for on behalf of MCLE. This training is approved for 3.75 CJAD-FV hours. All attendees seeking LMFT, LPC, MSW, and TCOLE credit must self report through their own Department and/or Licensing Board.