Last Update 12/17/07

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Tips for Police Officers on Assessing Lethality

Factors to consider in determining potential - These factors can be helpful in many guaranteed predictors of future violence:

  • Threats of homicide/suicide
  • History of domestic violence and other criminal conduct
  • Stalking
  • Depression or other mental illness
  • Obsessive attachment to victim
  • Separation of parties
  • Drug or alcohol involvement
  • Possession or access to weapons
  • Abuse of pets
  • Destruction of victim's property
  • Access to victim and victim's family and other supporters
Source:  Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence - A Law Enforcement Officer's Guide to Enforcing  Orders of Protection Nationwide by the IACP and Attorney General  as updated by Maryland Legal Assistance Network.  The International Association of Chiefs of Police produces and excellent pamphlet from which some of this information was drawn.  See the website (www.theiacp.org) for the pamphlet and additional resources.

Last Date Reviewed (no legal content)
6/13/03 (MLAN/AC)

 
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