How Police DV Abuse is Different

You have nowhere to hide. . . .

• You are isolated from family, friends, and other police officers' wives.

• Fear of the abuser may prevent your friends or family from helping you.

• You may be afraid to go to shelter because your abuser knows or can easily find out the location of area shelters.

• Your abuser may know shelter personnel and gain entrance or information either by lying or through intimidation.

• You may be afraid to risk the safety of other shelter residents, family or friends.

• You may fear that domestic violence advocates share information with the police.

• You may be afraid to access medical care because providers may contact law enforcement.

• The usual sources of community help and support are unavailable, untrained, or unwilling to risk helping you.

• Your abuser intimidates and/or threatens your family and friends if they assist you in any way.

• Your abuser has access to vehicle registration information, social security information, etc.

Your abuser has had professional training to. . . .

• Take control in any and all situations.

• Intimidate by his presence alone - uniform, stance, voice.

• Interrogate people to get information.

• Be deceptive and manipulative.

• Blame others for his use of force.

• Use weapons.

• Use his body as a weapon.

• Inflict pain and leave no marks or bruises.

Misuse of job perquisites as an officer enables. . . .

• "Patrolling" of your house, work place, children's day care center by abuser or fellow officers.

• Use of surveillance tools such as phone taps; sound-activated audio and video recording of your activities in the house.

• Use of police scanner to listen to cellular phone calls.

• Attachment of vehicle tracking devices to your car.

• Ability to run license plates, obtain documentation, find unlisted phone numbers and addresses of anyone whom you contact.

• Your abuser to enter your house or vehicle at will using lock pick tools and skills.

• Enlistment of neighbors to watch and report to him in return for "favors" from him.

• Harassment of you, your family or friends with traffic stops, evidence planting, false arrests.

You face overwhelming psychological threats and emotional barriers. . .

• No one believes you. You are labeled as crazy or as a troublemaker.

• Family, friends, or neighbors may not honor your confidentiality.

• Your disclosure of abuse challenges others' disbelief that a police officer can be a batterer.

• He says people will believe his version of the story because he is a police officer.

• You know he will punish you for interfering with his job.

• He uses interrogation and "The Voice" to intimidate and humiliate you and loved ones.

• The level of potential lethality is greater when the abuser is a police officer.

• Your abuser has the means to harm or kill you if you interfere with his job.

• He claims to know how to commit the "perfect crime".

• He claims to know criminals who would harm you if he told them to.

• He threatens to kill you both if he loses his job.

• He threatens to kill you and make it look like a suicide.

• He suggests that you use his weapon to kill yourself.