When Your Order of Protection is Violated 

Call the police immediately!  Tell them that you have an Order of Protection and it has been violated.  It is VERY important to tell the police that you have an OP.  If the respondent has a weapon of any kind, tell the police.

The police should send an officer to where you are.  When the police arrive, tell them that you want to sign a complaint for Violation of the Order of Protection (VOOP).  This is not the same as a making a police report.  A report is a note of what happened that will be put on file at the police department, it does not result in a criminal court case.  Also, a report cannot be used against the abuser in criminal court.  However, a signed complaint means that the respondent will be arrested for a VOOP.

If the abuser is gone when the police arrive, tell the police that you still wish to sign a complaint.  The police will issue a warrant for the respondent's arrest if there is probable cause, which means there is enough evidence for the police to believe a crime occurred.  The police may want you to be present in court with them when they ask the judge to issue the warrant so that you can explain what happened.

If the police will not allow you to sign a complaint and you believe that your OP was violated, get the police officers' names and badge numbers and contact their supervisor.  You may have to go up the chain of command to get an effective response.  When you speak to the supervisor, politely insist that you want to sign a complaint for a Violation of an Order of Protection.  If you feel at any time that the police officer is not taking you seriously, either ask for the officer's supervisor or call an advocate at Life Span or another domestic violence agency.