Examining police officer safety at domestic violence calls

The police occupation is viewed as dangerous; police officers work in adverse environments that include dealing with individuals with a mental illness or under the influence alcohol and/or drugs, arresting criminals, the potential for assault by criminals, and responding to traumatic scenes. Officers regularly attend domestic violence calls that include many of the above factors. Qualitative in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 police officers working in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia to better understand officer perceptions of the dangers associated with attending domestic violence calls. The majority of officers viewed domestic violence calls as one of the more dangerous calls that they attend, largely because of their unpredictable nature. Prevalent themes emerging from the data include volatile emotions, victims turning against officers, dangers of entering an unknown residence, alcohol use contributing to irrational or aggressive behaviour, and the challenges for officers working in rural areas.