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EspañolPolice officer is abuser - info on internal affairs, support and getting RO
Trying to navigate the criminal and civil legal system to get help for domestic abuse can be complex enough, not to mention when the abuser is a police officer, judge or other member of the justice system. Although I cannot speak to your specific situation, in general, if a person feels that the police are mis-handling a complaint regarding an officer, it may be possible to try to make a complaint to the internal affairs bureau of the police department (or whatever the internal bureau that deals with police mis-conduct is known as). In other situations, it may be useful to go up the chain of command within the police force until the situation of the reported abused is investigated. Another option may be to possibly go directly to the district attorney’s office to ask them to help get involved with the investigation of the crime.
[REMOVE THESE 2 SENT IF EMAILER IS NOT A CRIMINAL DEFENDANT] However, if the person who is seeking the district attorney’s help is also a defendant in a criminal case, this could severely complicate things - the district attorney’s office may not be able to talk to the person or the person may negatively implicate himself/herself in the criminal case pending against him/her. Anyone who is or may be charged with a crime should consult with a lawyer before going to the district attorney.
Also, for someone who is in fear of a spouse or intimate partner, a civil domestic violence restraining order may be an option - police do not need to be involved in order to get one. We have information on our website about the types of abuse that qualify for a protection order in your state. [HYPERLINK TO Q: WHAT IS LEGAL DEF OF DV? ON RO PAGE]
A local domestic violence organizations may be able to offer support - we list organizations in your state on our website. [HYPERLINK]
Last, I have asked my colleagues for any recommendations about specific groups that support victims of police domestic abuse and I will let you know if I hear of any. There is one website that I know of but I cannot vouch for the information contained in it - ABUSE OF POWER, which offers information for survivors whose abusers are police officers and ideas for how to report abusers to superiors and other information.
