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June 7, 2005
Specialized training increases family safety in responding to domestic violence situations
Edmonton... As part of the government's plan to prevent and address family violence, Alberta Justice is training Edmonton police recruits as part of a province-wide program to offer training to police, prosecutors and other frontline professionals who respond to domestic violence cases.
Val Campbell, Alberta Justice's Coordinator of Family Violence Initiatives, has been travelling around the province for the past year offering training in how best to respond to domestic violence situations. The result has been a coordinated and cooperative response among community partners to address this potentially deadly crime. Domestic violence units in various parts of the province are now working closely with community agencies to improve investigations and access to information on victims and abusers. This results in more complete file information for Crown prosecutors, who are then better able to prosecute these cases.
"By working together and offering all these partners the opportunity to receive the same training and information, we are creating a network of people to address this crime quickly and effectively," said Ron Stevens, Minister of Justice and Attorney General. "The results we are achieving through these training sessions and the efforts of so many frontline workers in cooperating and communicating together are real. I applaud the professionals who attend these sessions and then implement what they have learned to the benefit of their communities."
Police officer safety is also an issue in domestic violence cases and something that is talked about during the training sessions. Domestic violence calls are potentially some of the most dangerous calls police can respond to in the performance of their duties. The situations officers face are often volatile and understanding how to assess the risks they may be facing when they arrive at a domestic dispute can be crucial to their safety and that of the victim. The training teaches officers what some of the risk factors are so they understand the difference between a minor situation or one that is potentially lethal.
While the June 7 session is specifically directed to new police recruits, this training is typically provided to police, prosecutors and community agencies in the province, mobilizing communities to work together. It has also helped them to identify gaps in the work they do and how to work together to make sure no family at risk falls through the cracks. As a result, victims and families are safer.
To date, over 5000 professionals have participated in the training sessions including police, Crown prosecutors, probation officers, crisis and shelter workers, social workers, mental health professionals and community agencies. Over 6,300 domestic disputes were reported to police in Edmonton last year.
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Copyright(c); 2005 Government of Alberta