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New Law for Police Training on Domestic Violence

A number of new family laws have been implemented in the state of Illinois since the start of 2017. Among the newly effective laws, a handful deal with domestic violence. One in particular states that law enforcement agencies should develop arrest procedure policies for domestic violence situations by providing domestic violence training for new recruits and existing police officers, and to have refresher courses every five years.

The new law—HB 5538 which was sponsored by Senator Melinda Bush and passed both houses 113-0—will help to ensure that police officers are equipped with the necessary skills to effectively respond to domestic violence issues as soon as a call is answered.

Ensuring That Abusers Cannot Hide From the Law

There are several reasons why this law will be beneficial. Domestic violence cases can be hard to investigate when a multiple of people are involved. Sometimes, all of the details of a case are not accurate or are blurry when trying to describe what exactly happened in an abusive situation.

The updates to the law are also aimed at preventing any further victimization of domestic abuse and will focus on looking past the physical evidence. Training will help show the dynamics of a relationship between the aggressor and the victim. Also, it will assist in evaluating claims when both parties claim to be a victim.

Sen. Bush stated that abusers must know that officers are aware of what to look for with regard to the "psychological aspects of abusive relationships," and that abusers cannot hide from the law.

Law enforcement will work with community organizations that deal with domestic violence to determine which topics should be included and the Illinois Department of State Police will be responsible for overseeing the implementation and continuance of the training.

The domestic violence training will be formulated by the Law Enforcement Training Board by July 1, 2017 and it will be implemented statewide by July 1, 2018.

Speak with a Compassionate Family Law Lawyer Today

If you or someone you know would like additional information on laws that help to protect victims of domestic violence, or would like to discuss other family law related issues such as divorce, custody and visitation, or spousal maintenance, then please contact a skilled DuPage County family law attorney at Roscich & Martel Law Firm, LLC. Call (630) 793-6337 to speak with an attorney today, or visit our website to schedule your confidential consultation.

Sources:

http://www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com/issues/651-hb-5538

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=5538&GAID=13&SessionID=88&LegID=94950

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