Spotlight on Success! Marin CCR’s Law Enforcement Liaisons
The Marin Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Network (Marin CCR) brings together individuals, organizations, and institutions to promote safety and mutual respect in relationships and to reduce the number of domestic violence and sexual assault crimes in Marin County. Hosted by the Marin County District Attorney’s Office and Center for Domestic Peace, the Marin CCR was formed 24 years ago with a vision for its members to become “Liaison Leaders” with the training they need to ensure that domestic violence and sexual assault procedures are in each partner’s organizational toolkit so that their employees are equipped to help survivors using best practices for safety. This way all victims receive assistance from the ever-widening safety net that is the Marin CCR. As victims reach out, our goal is that they are met with a coordinated response that increases their safety and links them from one support to the next.
A key part of the Marin CCR’s success was the creation and institutionalization of countywide Law Enforcement Domestic Violence Liaisons (LE Liaisons). These officers, identified in each jurisdiction, are comprehensively trained on the Marin County Uniform Law Enforcement Response to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Pocket Cards and become expert coaches for their officers. In this way, all Marin police agencies can respond in a uniform way that implements known best practices for increasing help-seeking behavior and victim safety. With their own internal response expert, or LE Liaison, each Marin police agency ensures consistent use of the Pocket Card when officers respond to the crime scene.
LE Liaisons are also tasked with reviewing police reports, providing feedback to officers, and making “Trend Reports” at Marin CCR’s General Session meetings twice a year on the practice and outcomes from using the Pocket Card. This coordination and commitment have shown proven results over time in the Pocket Card’s adoption and the successful increases to victim safety. We are stronger together!
“We value our strong partnership with Center for Domestic
Peace. There is no question the cooperation between the two
organizations has protected victims and brought perpetrators of
this horrible crime to justice. Along with additional training and
enhanced communication, these Pocket Cards have helped officers
complete more thorough investigations, resulting in a greater
probability of successful prosecution and closure for victims.
There is still much work needed to stamp out domestic violence,
but the strong relationships between C4DP and Marin policing
agencies is an important step.” Captain Jim Correa, Novato
Police Department
“The domestic violence Pocket Cards are an invaluable resource
for our patrol officers and investigators who respond to domestic
violence in San Rafael. We are proud to provide the best
possible service to victims and their families. The Pocket Cards
help us build trust within the community by ensuring that
each case is investigated with thoroughness and consistency.”
Sergeant Alex Holm, San Rafael Police Department
