I am an advocate, so I write from an advocate's perspective. I do not claim to speak for all advocates. I have spoken to thousands of victims, and I feel that qualifies me to speak from the perspective of at least some of them. I do not claim to speak for all of them. Included in the population of police victims I've spoken with are victims who are police officers themselves. I do not claim to speak for all of them.
Each woman who is battered is a unique individual with her own unique experience, but there are many common threads in what women have told me over the years.
When I've written about what women have told me, other women say things like, "That is the story of my life. It's like you were inside my living room or bedroom recording things he said to me. Until I read this, I felt like I was the only one." Women express regret that there are so many other officers who batter women, but at the same time are validated that their intimate partner is not the only cop-batterer; and that his characteristics are shared by other battering officers.
The feedback and validation that I've received from women who have been battered by officers has given me the encouragement and support that I need to continue writing. It gives me hope that my writing is clear, revealing, and gets to the heart of the matter and to the hearts of my readers. I am not going to try to give a balanced account that provides the perspective of the abuser or of the police agency. They will have to write their own accounts. I am reporting what the women have told me.
It is not my intention to offend or bash the individual police officers who are not batterers, nor is it my intention to incriminate all police departments.
I have been criticized for painting all officers with the same brush, so I ask you to keep in mind that I am talking about officers who batter, not all officers. I would think it would be insulting if I were to praise officers who are not batterers or police supervisors who are trying to hold batterers accountable — that seems like I'd be saying that officers who do not beat or rape women are the exceptions to the rule. I have to believe the opposite.
I hope that readers will find something of value in my writing, and that, above all, it rings true to the experiences of victims and advocates. It is the victims and the advocates whom I wish to support and validate. I hope to share with them what I have learned about police-batterers and police departments' responses to the problem. I cannot afford not to tell the truth for fear of offending the "powers-that-be." The time has come to speak the truth to power....
— Diane Wetendorf
It is always a volatile situation when a police officer is the perpetrator of domestic violence; it is an explosive situation when both the perpetrator and the victim are officers.
Fully comprehending the dynamics of the situation takes more than understanding Domestic Violence 101. It requires understanding how completely males dominate the profession of policing, and how they have used the institution and culture of policing to preserve and protect male dominance both within the profession of policing and within larger society.
What is different about this book is that it examines how male police officers' institutional power within society and within the police ranks filters down into the intimate relationships of police officers, and why the institution has historically ignored or denied police-perpetrated violence against women....
We will begin with a brief look at the history of policing. Particularly how the profession has treated black and female officers....
Next, we will explore the institution of policing — its culture and how individuals are indoctrinated, accepted or rejected based on their acceptance of the culture....
With such background, we will finally look at domestic violence in the ranks, exploring how the players in the criminal justice system not only ignore domestic violence, but collude with the abuser....
We will discuss the impact of community-based advocates losing independence as they depend more on government-based funding....
Our conclusion will show that female officers are basically left without resources. It depends on all citizens, not just those in law enforcement to effect change....
Introduction: It is always a volatile situation when a police officer is the perpetrator of domestic violence; it is an explosive situation when both the abuser and victim are officers. Fully comprehending the dynamics requires understanding how men have used the institution to preserve and protect male dominance both within policing and within society.Historical, Social and Cultural Context: The history of policing in any country reflects the social values of those in power. How do we resolve our ambivalence about acting as agents of social control over others, and enforcing the laws of the white male-dominated criminal justice system?
The Police Culture: Though male and female recruits go through the same training and indoctrination into police culture, the effects and impact are quite different. Survival in the profession depends on an individual officer’s ability to internalize occupational norms and values.
Police Domestic Violence on the Radar: A female officer who lives with domestic violence fears people will question how she can protect others if she can’t protect herself. She has to choose between jeopardizing her safety by reporting, or possibly violating department policy by remaining silent.
He’s the “Victim”: An on-duty officer who perceives a threat doesn’t wait until he is under attack to protect himself; an officer who batters doesn’t wait until his victim reports him to take action.
Network of Power: Making a complaint against a police officer is a dangerous act, especially when the complainant is herself an officer. Her abuser can call on his personal and professional network for support and defense against any allegations.
Advocates in the Network: Cooperation between advocates and police can be beneficial to both parties and to many civilian victims, but it presents complex problems when the alleged perpetrator or victim is a police officer.
Crossing the Threshold: Can police agencies or the public rely on an officer who batters to hold civilian batterers accountable or to protect victims of intimate partner violence? We should be paying attention to the way male police officers treat female officers both on the job and in their intimate relationships.
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