Spousal violence cuts across every line of geography and income. Abuse is found in every community in our country and hundreds thousands of incidents of domestic violence occur every year. The sad news is, many of these incidents go unreported. Many of the households where spousal violence occurs also have a child present – which means there is usually more than one victim. Taking the enormous step to reach out is the first step towards change, the first step towards safety. No one deserves to be abused. Families no longer need to suffer for years in silence.
Spousal violence is a priority of the Edmonton Police Service, and to the community. It adversely affects all aspects of society. Violence in the home is a leading cause of injury. Children who grow up witnessing this violence are affected for life. Abusers, unless held accountable for their actions, continue to commit acts of violence and intimidation.
The collaborative partnership between the Edmonton Police Service and Edmonton Community Services is committed to working together to help families to find emotional and physical safety and to work with the community to end the cycle of violence that so often damages and destroys families.
The EPS is committed to providing the most appropriate and effective response to spousal violence with its five Spousal Violence Intervention Teams in the Family Support Services Section.
To deal with the more than 5,500 reports of family violence received each year, the EPS and Edmonton Community Services established intervention teams to provide services to individuals involved in spousal violence. The teams are comprised of a detective and a senior social worker and are responsible for completing a threat / risk assessment based on information from police reports, records, and other sources.
The teams provide intervention in selected cases where victims are assessed as high risk for serious violence or offenders are deemed at high risk to re-offend. Intervention includes further investigation of complex cases or issues not identified in the original file, developing a comprehensive safety plan with the victim, and proactively working with the victim and community agencies to: end the violence, help the parties involved make appropriate changes in their lives, and work with patrol members in developing appropriate responses to cases of spousal violence.