The Colorado Springs Police Department formed a
nontraditional domestic violence unit in 1996 called the Domestic
Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT). This unit involved a
partnership and collaboration with the Center for the Prevention of
Domestic Violence, a private, nonprofit victim advocacy organization,
and 25 other city and county agencies. DVERT was unique in its focus
on the safety of the victim over the arrest and prosecution of the
batterer. It was also different from the traditional police model for
a special unit because it was a systemic response to domestic violence
situations that involved the coordination of criminal justice, social
service, and community-based agencies. This study is an 18-month
evaluation of the DVERT unit. It was designed to answer the following
research and evaluation questions: (1) What were the activities of
DVERT staff? (2) Who were the victims and perpetrators of domestic
violence? (3) What were the characteristics of domestic
violence-related incidents in Colorado Springs and surrounding
jurisdictions? (4) What was the nature of the intervention and
prevention activities of DVERT? (5) What were the effects of the
intervention? (6) What was the nature and extent of the collaboration
among criminal justice agencies, victim advocates, and city and county
human services agencies? (7) What were the dynamics of the
collaboration? and (8) How successful was the collaboration? At the
time of this evaluation, the DVERT program focused on three levels of
domestic violence situations: Level I included the most lethal
situations in which a victim might be in serious danger, Level II
included moderately lethal situations in which the victim was not in
immediate danger, and Level III included lower lethality situations in
which patrol officers engaged in problem-solving. Domestic violence
situations came to the attention of DVERT through a variety of
mechanisms. Most of the referrals came from the Center for the
Prevention of Domestic Violence. Other referrals came from the
Department of Human Services, the Humane Society, other law
enforcement agencies, or city service agencies. Once a case was
referred to DVERT, all relevant information concerning criminal and
prosecution histories, advocacy, restraining orders, and human
services documentation was researched by appropriate DVERT member
agencies. Referral decisions were made on a weekly basis by a group
of six to eight representatives from the partner agencies. From its
inception in May 1996 to December 31, 1999, DVERT accepted 421 Level I
cases and 541 Level II cases. Cases were closed or deactivated when
DVERT staff believed that the client was safe from harm. Parts 1-4
contain data from 285 Level I DVERT cases that were closed between
July 1, 1996, and December 31, 1999. Parts 5-8 contain data from 515
Level II cases from 1998 and 1999 only, because data were more
complete in those two years. Data were collected from (1) police
records of the perpetrator and victim, including calls for service,
arrest reports, and criminal histories, (2) DVERT case files,
and (3) Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence files on
victims. Coding sheets were developed to capture the information
within these administrative documents. Part 1 includes data on whether
the incident produced injuries or a risk to children, whether the
victim, children, or animals were threatened, whether weapons were
used, if there was stalking or sexual abuse, prior criminal history,
and whether there was a violation of a restraining order. For Part 2
data were gathered on the date of case acceptance to the DVERT program
and deactivation, if the offender was incarcerated, if the victim was
in a new relationship or had moved out of the area, if the offender
had moved or was in treatment, if the offender had completed a
domestic violence class, and if the offender had served a
sentence. Parts 3 and 4 contain information on the race, date of
birth, gender, employment, and relationship to the victim or offender
for the offenders and victims, respectively. Part 5 includes data on
the history of emotional, physical, sexual, and child abuse, prior
arrests, whether the victim took some type of action against the
offender, whether substance abuse was involved, types of injuries that
the victim sustained, whether medical care was necessary, whether a
weapon was used, restraining order violations, and incidents of
harassment, criminal trespassing, telephone threats, or
kidnapping. Part 6 variables include whether the case was referred to
and accepted in Level I and whether a DVERT advocate made contact on
the case. Part 7 contains information on the offenders' race and
gender. Part 8 includes data on the victims' date of birth, race, and
gender.