|
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 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.
|
