From The Sheriff’s Desk

            Domestic abuse is one of the leading violent crimes that deputies deal with on a day to day basis. Unfortunately, it is very common. When a deputy arrives at the scene of an assault one of the first things he must determine is whether or not this is a domestic. So what is the difference between domestic violence and a simple assault? The relationship of the parties involved is the difference. Some people do not understand that under Oklahoma law it is not just married couples that can be guilty of domestic violence; literally everyone with a pre-existing relationship is covered by this law. If you once lived with someone else, if you are boy friend/girl friend, if you’re cousins or were once married to each other and are now divorced, all of these categories fall under domestic violence laws.

In responding to domestic situations there has to be a team effort on the part of law enforcement. There has to be the initial response, the investigation, care of the victim, and the follow-up. The response starts with the dispatcher receiving the call, determining the nature of the call and sending the appropriate response team (Deputies, police, ambulance and social services if needed). While the dispatcher is on the line with the victim they are determining as much information as: the victims location, the perpetrators location, are there weapons involved, is the situation ongoing or is it over and are there children involved. While all this is going on they must dispatch the most appropriate response force.

            On responding to the scene the officer must stop any ongoing violence, protect the victim and anyone else at the scene and protect himself as well. Once he has controlled the scene and listened to both sides of the story he must make a decision based on the situation at hand, his training and the law. If appropriate, the officer must call for back-up, medical services, social services and investigative assistance. Domestic abuse is one of the few crimes where an officer may make an arrest without having seen the crime committed or without a warrant. If the officer has probable cause to believe that an individual has committed an act of domestic violence he may make an arrest, without a warrant, if he does so within 72 hours of the crime.

            Grady County is very fortunate in having a domestic Abuse Task Force headed by the District Six, District Attorney’s Office and supported by the Sheriff’s Office, Department of Human Services, Women’s Service Center, the Apache Tribe and numerous municipalities. The Grady County Sheriff’s Office has also been able to get a federal grant through the District Attorney’s Council for a full time domestic abuse investigator. The sheriff’s office has also received grant monies for equipment and training to support the effort. The training is being provided at no charge to all law enforcement officers in the county. I would like to make special note of the fact that this grant requires matching funds from the Sheriff’s Office. However, rather than paying in dollars the Sheriff’s Office is paying it’s share through the labor provided by it’s reserve deputies. A special thanks to the reserve deputies that give their unpaid time on domestic violence cases which allows us to have an additional fulltime officer, equipment and training! If you have any questions about domestic violence please contact the Sheriff’s Office at 405-222-1000.