Exploring agency policing models and response to domestic violence

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the relationship between law enforcement agency domestic violence standard operating procedures (SOPs) and Florida's model policy for domestic violence, as well as type of police agency and policing management model. Design/methodology/approach - Data for this study include the SOPs and self-reported policing model for Florida law enforcement agencies (n = 72), which were collected through an e-mail request to all Florida agencies. The policing model was dichotomized into "traditional policing" and "community oriented policing" styles. Content analysis was used to analyze each agency's SOPs. Findings - Findings suggest there are no differences in SOP content across "traditional" versus "community oriented policing" policing models. Agencies self-reporting as community oriented policing agencies were not necessarily any more likely to include preventative or long-term goals within their domestic violence SOPs than agencies self-reporting as "traditional" policing agencies. There were also no differences in SOP content across type of police agency. Research limitations/implications - This research suggests that although SOPs are used to formalize policy for officer decision making, they may not be representative of the policing management model of an agency. Practical implications - Agencies that identify as community policing agencies should examine whether written policies demonstrate an adherence to the core tenets of community policing. Originality/value - There is no research that examines the link between written domestic violence policies and agency policing models. This paper adds to the extant literature and suggests topics for future research in this area.