The Ineffectiveness of Training on Increasing Time at the Scene, Acceptance for Prosecution, and Convictions of Domestic Violence Cases

Does police officer training for managing a domestic violence scene improve the chances for a case to be accepted for prosecution and to result in a conviction? If such training emphasises more careful evidence collection and response to victim, would not there be an increase in time spent on the scene? This article is an evaluation of domestic violence training for police officers and analyses the effect of the training on the amount of time police officers spend on the scene with victims of domestic violence, number of cases accepted for prosecution, and the case's culmination in a conviction. Data from 291 domestic violence cases were collected from a southwest, predominantly Mexican American, metropolitan police department and district attorney's office. Findings indicate no significant increases in time spent at the scene, acceptance of the case for prosecution, and conviction when comparing cases managed by trained officers to cases managed by untrained officers.