In Partnership with

The RCMP

POLICE SHELTER

PARTNERSHIP

RCMP Domestic Crime Unit

The unit was created in 2005 in response to a double murder suicide event in Red Deer City

The RCMP recognized that a collaborative partnership with the Emergency Shelter was critical for preventing further domestic homicides

The Emergency Shelter employed the social worker in the RCMP Detachment

Key objectives

Victims safety 911 response

Police investigation

Pro arrest mandate

Risk assessment

Safe refuge

Victims supports

Key objectives

Offender accountability Pro arrest

Pro prosecution

Community corrections supervision

Treatment program

Breached when violations occur

Critical components

Willing agencies / good relationships

Collaborative working relationships

Information sharing protocol

Risk assessment throughout the process

High risk response protocol

Shared accountability

Shared responsibility

Ongoing training

Collaborative responses:

Share responsibility for the success and failures

Do not blame or finger point

Share accountability

Work respectfully with each other

Work on diverse community initiatives together

Build strong relationships

Social Work and Police

Reviewing files from the lens of police and social

work

The two professions don’t always see eye to eye

The social work lens identified red flags the

police didn’t see or understand

Learning to trust and work respectfully with each

other

The Corporal plays a key role

Building strong relationships takes time and

effort

At times Police can have a very different

perspective on a case than a social worker or a

shelter worker

At times this caused a little stress for the

social worker/shelter worker

High risk case Conferencing

The RCMP, D V Social Worker , D V Court

Coordinator, Shelter and other agencies

meet every Tuesday to review high risk

files

Domestic Violence Court Case

Coordinator

• The role of the coordinator is to enhance

victim safety and participation in Domestic

Violence Docket court through to trial by

providing support to the victims and the

Crown Prosecutors with information

gathered from a variety of sources.

• The coordinator works in the detachment

with the police unit

Domestic Violence Court

Working in the detachment helps to

ensure the critical information is being

communicated to the key stakeholders

working with the victims and holding the

perpetrators accountable

The court coordinator works with the

Crown Prosecutors office on all D V files

for docket court and trial

Domestic Violence Court Case

Coordinator

• coordinates and supports two court case

workers who assist in client support and safety.

• coordinates and supports partner safety check program

The Shelter role

• To support the key project positions

• To support the role of the DV police unit

• To work with police leadership to ensure

the continued success of the partnerships

• To problem solve

• To provide feedback on the police

response to the leadership

OUTCOMES

• The RCMP unit has reviewed over 8,000 domestic violence files since it creation

• No victim who has been involved with the project has been murdered

• The coordinated D V court has worked with over 2500 victims

• In the police - shelter partnership almost 10,000 victims have been supported by both police and shelter.

OUTCOMES

• Victims have moved into Red Deer from

surrounding communities to access the

services of the police unit and shelter

• Victims report that they have a much more

positive experience with police than in

outside communities where no such police

unit exists.

• Shelter workers report a more positive

relationship with police as a result of the

project partnership

Thank You

In Partnership with

The RCMP