Police Response to Violence Against Women

The IACP's Police Response to Violence Against Women Project, with funding from the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), focuses on the development of tools and policies to assist law enforcement in responding effectively to human trafficking, sexual assault, domestic violence by police officers and domestic violence and all other crimes against women.

“The IACP Training tools are the most effective tools a trainer can have—I utilize every piece of information available to me and the groups I instruct leave each session with a packet of the material”
-Captain Maureen Will (Retired, Brookfield Police Department, Brookfield, CT)

Human Trafficking

Includes information on federal law, tools for identification, investigation and response, and resources for victim assistance. The guidebook, which also has a pocket guide for field reference, is available in bulk, free of charge for law enforcement agencies. The Crime of Human Trafficking: A Law Enforcement Guide to Identification and Investigation. Recognizing the international nature of human trafficking and the limited language resources and interpretation capabilities facing many police departments, IACP has translated the guidebook into Spanish.
El Crimen de la Trata Humana: Guía para agencias del orden público para identificar e investigar el crimen

Three Part Roll-Call Training Video

Segment One - Defining the Crime
(9min, 46 sec)

• Real Media 
• Windows Media

Segment Two - Identifying and Responding
(10 min, 13 sec)

• Real Media
• Windows Media

Segment Three - Investigating and Interviewing
(9 min, 23 sec)

• Real Media
• Windows Media

• Discussion Questions to accompany the IACP roll call training video, The Crime of Human Trafficking: A Law Enforcement Guide (Discussion Questions)

To order the guidebook and roll-call training video, please email stopviolence@theiacp.org or complete the order form and fax to 703-684-3448. (Please Note: Rush orders will result in a shipping fee.)

Once you have reviewed our training material on the crime of human trafficking, please take a few moments to share your feedback: Human Trafficking Survey

Sexual Assault

Striving to strengthen sexual assault investigations and set national uniform standards for sexual assault case coding and documentation, the Police Response to Violence Against Women Project has just released IACP Sexual Assault Guidelines: Supplemental Report Form and Investigative Strategies. This educational tool consists of a supplemental report form, guidelines for case documentation, effective techniques for victim and perpetrator interviews, and a pocket “tip” card for officers. 

• Investigative Guidelines
• Supplemental Report Form
• Order Form
• Model Policy on Investigating Sexual Assaults (2005) and accompanying concepts and issues paper (IACP Policy and Concepts and Issues Paper).
• Training Key #571 Investigating Sexual Assault Part I: Elements of Sexual Assault & Initial Response
• Training Key #572 Investigating Sexual Assault Part II: Investigative Procedures
• Training Key #573 Investigating Sexual Assault Part III: Investigative Strategy & Prosecution
• Training Key #574 Pretext Phone Calls in Sexual Assault Investigations
  
• DNA brochure for Victims on the potential and limitations of DNA evidence in sexual assault cases. (In development)

Domestic Violence by Police Officers

Police leaders across the country have taken steps to prevent violence, reduce department liability, enhance victim safety and preserve careers by proactively confronting the issue of domestic violence committed by police officers. The IACP Domestic Violence by Police Officers Model Policy focuses on early intervention, incident response and investigation procedures and has served as a foundation for agencies across the country looking to adopt and implement policies to address this problem. 

• IACP Domestic Violence by Police Officers Policy
• IACP Domestic Violence by Police Officers Discussion Paper
• Guidelines to Address Officers Under Orders of Protection

Domestic Violence

In 1994, Congress enacted the full faith and credit provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) [18 U.S.C. § 2265-66]. The federal law directs jurisdictions to give full faith and credit to valid orders of protection issued
by other jurisdictions.

• IACP Domestic Violence Model Policy
• IACP Domestic Violence Concepts and Issues Paper
• Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence: A Law Enforcement Officer's Guide to Enforcing Orders of Protection Nationwide

For more information on the IACP's Police Response to Violence Against Women efforts, contact Aviva Kurash at kurasha@theiacp.org or 800-843-4227 ext. 809.