Model Domestic Violence Response Team Turns 3

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – A special multi-disciplinary team dedicated to identifying and preventing high-risk domestic violence just turned 3.

The team is based on a model developed in Massachusetts that was successful in reducing the number of homicides that one community in that state was experiencing, the Farmington Hills Police Department said in a news release.

Comprised of law enforcement officers, court and school officials, hospital and social workers, domestic violence service providers and others, it’s one of only a handful of such teams in Michigan.

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“Research has demonstrated that there are certain risk factors that, when present, can predict homicide in abusive relationships. Identification of these factors requires the special training of first responders — police officers, medical staff, advocates and others — in the administration of a lethality/danger assessment,” the police department said. “Once a case is identified as high risk, a structure must be in place that allows for communication, timely action, and ongoing monitoring of the situation.”

The Farmington Hills High Risk Response Team was formed in December 2012 by the Farmington Hills Police Department’s Investigative Division, 47th District Court, HAVEN of Oakland County, Jewish Family Services, city and county prosecutors, and others.

Since then, more groups have come on board, including members from the Farmington Hills Police Department Patrol Division, Farmington Public Safety, Farmington Public Schools, Beaumont Hospital, the Farmington/Farmington Hills Call to Action Coalition and Oakland University.

To accomplish this task, various policies, protocols, and practices have had to either be altered or developed.

This effort has helped to ensure that offenders in cases determined to be “high risk” are contained and closely monitored and victims readily receive the comprehensive services they deserve, the police department said.

Additionally, the team identified specialized training in “danger assessment” as a much-needed key to the group’s effectiveness.

The team’s work has been recognized for exemplary service and commitment to the victims of domestic violence by the Oakland County Coordinating Council against Domestic Violence at the 2013 Oakland County Domestic Violence Prevention Awards ceremony.

Team members remain dedicated to prevention and community education. In April 2015, several members presented the team’s work at the “A Community Response to Domestic Violence: Developing a High Risk Response Team” seminar in Cook County, IL.

A similar presentation was done at HAVEN of Oakland County’s “Strangulation: Changing Practice” seminar in September. Several informal presentations have also been made to local advocacy groups, civic groups, and law enforcement agencies in order to raise awareness.

Photo

Back row, left to right: Detective Chris Steuer (Farmington Hills Police Department), Kim Holka (Oakland University), Steve Meads (city prosecutor), Officer Nicole Tomasovich-Morton (Farmington Hills Police Department), Mitch Seelye (Call to Action Coalition), Jackie Jones (47th District Court Probation), Officer Al Baranski (Farmington Public Safety), Detective Matt Smith (Farmington Hills Police Department), Detective Ryan Molloy (Farmington Hills Police Department), Assistant Chief Matt Koehn (Farmington Hills Police Department).

Front row, left to right: Teresa Bowers (Call to Action Coalition), Colleen Monaghan (HAVEN), Erica Saum (Jewish Family Services), Detective Chad Double (Farmington Hills Police Department), Cindy Reilly (Oakland County Pretrial Services), and Lt. Jon Haupt (Farmington Hills Police Department).