Spokane: Domestic Violence Unit Update
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Julie Humphreys, 509.625.5868

Two recent domestic violence cases highlight the continued work of The Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Team in advocating for victims and holding offenders accountable.

On the evening of May 6th, Spokane Police patrol officers located 37 year old Robert D. McCrow and arrested him for six counts of violating a domestic violence no-contact order.  McCrow had been harassing and traumatizing his victim for months while avoiding capture.  Prior to his arrest, officers from the Domestic Violence Team were preparing a press release requesting public assistance in locating McCrow because of the outstanding threat he posed to his victim.  Responding officers were thorough and relentless in their investigation, which ended in the arrest of McCrow who had been the subject of dozens of calls for service over the past few months.

In a separate incident earlier in the day, a Spokane Police officer contacted an immigrant mother with five children who had been threatened by her husband.  The officer's cultural awareness allowed him to work with the victim and bring her and her children in direct contact with YWCA advocates who provided safe transport and shelter to the family.

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The Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Team is comprised of members of the Spokane Police Department, Spokane County Sheriff's Office, Spokane Municipal Court Prosecutors, Spokane County Prosecutors, and the YWCA Domestic Violence Advocates Program.  The unique collaboration between these local entities assists in helping victims of domestic violence (DV) with services to help them move forward, with streamlined communication for prosecution, and with follow up by law enforcement officers/detectives.

On an average week law enforcement assigned to the unit work to make contact with upwards of sixty victims of domestic violence. Officers conduct follow up on cases and provide referrals to the YWCA Domestic Violence Advocates Program which offers services ranging from clothing, housing, jobs, protection orders and counseling.  Officers and detectives also work to locate outstanding domestic violence offenders to make post-arrests and offer what's known as focused deterrence whereby officers discuss with offenders the potential outcomes of continuing with their behavior. The goal is to change DV patterns , protect victims, and reduce law enforcement resources needed to respond to DV.

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The Domestic Violence Team also provides training to local agencies on DV laws and  trauma informed interviewing and strangulation.  Additionally, the Domestic Violence Team conducts ongoing training for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, including a recent presentation on the impact of trauma and culture for rural law enforcement.

The Spokane Police Department encourages anyone who is involved in a Domestic Violence incident to call 911 or visit the Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Coalition Resource Page at https://endtheviolencespokane.org/images/Resources-Pages.pdf

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