It has become clear that police personnel respond on too many occasions to the same residence on reports of domestic violence. The "cycle of violence" is obviously present in many of these homes. It is important to intervene in the "cycle of violence" in order to prevent possible homicides. Provide intervention for children who witness or experience violence in the home and break the generational "cycle of violence."

The goals and objectives of the Domestic Violence Response Team are to: Provide immediate victim assistance to domestic violence victims; Provide an environment which insures the safety of the victim, and any children; Inform and educate the victims concerning the dynamics of domestic violence and methods by which they can be safe from violence; and Evaluate the need for intervention when children are the victims and/or witnesses to violence in their homes.

The backbone of the Domestic Violence Response Team is the victim advocates who provides immediate intervention for victims. They are also tasked with the assessment and evaluation of the children in the home. Their evaluation is followed with the possible recommendation for intervention for the victims and the children.

The Lakewood Police Department has six victim advocates who are full-time employees of the police department. They work in concert with the police personnel who respond to domestic violence calls. Volunteer advocates are also trained to deal with domestic violence calls. Between the full-time and volunteer advocates, the service is available every night of the week with the exception of Sunday. The advocates operate out of a department-owned van, which is referred to as the "mobile unit." Patrol officers who are handling a case of domestic violence can request assistance from the advocates and know that they will respond quickly to the scene. Requests for assistance by patrol personnel increased by over 60% in the first three months the unit was in use. Once the advocates are on scene, they assist patrol personnel with the victim. Crisis intervention is immediate. The van might be used as a place to interview the victim or witnesses, photograph the victim’s injuries, provide information, and education to the victim concerning the dynamics of domestic violence, or interview children about the violence away from the influence of their parents or other adults. The van is also used to transport victims and children to shelters.

Any children exposed to domestic violence are identified, and the advocates assess their reactions to the violence. They talk with the children about the history of the violence in the home and the nature of violence in general. Once the assessment is completed, the advocates can make recommendations for intervention and seek compensation for the children.

The advocate is instructed to make specific comments regarding the reactions of the children, their verbal responses and behaviors, which are observed by the advocate during their contact with the children. This information is thoroughly documented. The dates of follow-up visits are documented along with observations made by the advocate during the follow-up. The advocate is particularly interested in the ways in which children have adjusted to the violence. Based on this information, recommendations might be made for referral to a therapist.

The measurement factors are evaluated for aggregate totals on contacts and victims/children served, patterns of behavior and reactions, and age differential for the reactions. No judgments are assigned to types of reactions or how an individual is coping with repeated or on-going violence.

The most critical issue for this program is the availability of victim advocates to respond at the time of the initial investigation of the call. It is also critical that the advocates are available to follow-up with the children who have been involved in, or witnessed the violence.

Training on the use and value of the program for all department personnel involved in responding to domestic violence cases is a second critical issue. The training must be consistent and pertinent to the role of those being trained.

The availability of victim services and resources is essential for the long-term success of the program. Resources for the children must also be accessible.