For half a decade Nevada has been a hotbed for domestic abuse, among the Top 5 states for the number of women killed by men and in domestic-violence homicides (tops in 2005). Prior to January, however, Metro’s 20-cop domestic-abuse detail was generally a reactionary force, responding to tens of thousands of cases after crimes were committed. Lt. Chris Carroll says two incidents prompted the creation of an intrasquad unit dedicated to tackling cases before someone dies.
“In January, we had two domestic homicides in which protective orders were in effect. One in which the female with the protective order was murdered; the other in which the person with the protective order, her new boyfriend was murdered by the old boyfriend. If someone is willing to get a protective order, and then becomes a victim, it reflects poorly on us.”
Dubbed the Victim Protection Tracking Unit (VPTU), the new outfit targets suspects most likely to commit domestic violence/homicide and those who’ve already engaged in domestic abuse. They’re evaluated by various factors: history of violence, threat of future violence, criminal record, drug and alcohol abuse, pending court dates, child and animal abuse.
“We get photos of them and DNA from them, we meet them and discuss what happened,” Carroll says. “We also help victims get protective orders. These domestic-violence homicides take place behind closed doors. There’s not going to be a cop there at all times. We want to be proactive.”
The Las Vegas Valley remains among the worst communities for domestic abuse. Metro’s domestic-violence caseload has jumped from 19,608 cases in 2003 (these included attempted murder, bodily harm, kidnapping, home invasion, burglary and harassment) to 26,188 cases last year. (Henderson police recorded 1,957 domestic-violence cases last year. North Las Vegas police didn’t respond to a request seeking their numbers.) Domestic-violence homicides in Metro’s jurisdiction have hovered between 22 and 27 since 2003, with a high of 32 in 2005. (Alaska tops the nation in domestic-violence murders.)
To date, VPTU officers have met with 18 suspects. Carroll doesn’t envision that number growing into the hundreds. Should the unit be hit with a crush of domestic-violence homicides, he can call on detectives in other departments. And vice versa. Says Carroll: “A detective working a robbery case may find a domestic-violence situation and can turn it over to us.”