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Case Number 27
The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, located in Wheaton, IL, provides law enforcement services to the nearly one million residents of DuPage County and patrols the unincorporated areas populated by almost 140,000 residents. The Office was first accredited in 1990, and was reaccredited in 1995 and 1998. During our preparation for reassessment in 1998 we conducted a survey of the needs of victims and witnesses. A portion of that survey was a thorough review of the types and numbers of cases most commonly handled by our deputies. We noted an alarming increase in crimes of domestic violence since1995. Consequently, we introduced the Family Protection Unit (FPU); a full-time unit dedicated to combating family violence and other domestic crimes. At present, one male and one female deputy staff the unit. The ultimate goal of the FPU is to reduce domestic violence by deterring offenders, empowering victims and enhancing the reporting and enforcement of domestic violence crimes. Unit members aid victims in obtaining orders of protection, make arrests, serve warrants and orders of protection and provide referrals to other agencies. They also provide transportation to local shelters and act as liaisons with the State’s Attorney’s Office in preparing for criminal hearings. The FPU works closely with the Family Shelter Service, a shelter and counseling center located in nearby Glen Ellyn. In order to facilitate a closer interaction between the Family Shelter Service and the Office, we provide office space to counselors from the shelter. Permitting these six advocates to work in the Sheriff’s Office has resulted in faster referral times and more comprehensive services for our victims. All incidents of domestic violence are referred to the FPU for follow-up attention. FPU members contact each victim of domestic violence and schedule a time for a one-on-one interview. After the interview, the victim meets with one of the advocates from Family Shelter Service. If an order of protection is needed one of the unit members will escort the victim to the courthouse and walk him or her through the procedure. This creates a sound, immediate support system for each victim and makes it easier for those victims to obtain an order of protection. Currently, the two deputies assigned to the FPU closed over 50 cases each month. In 1999, the unit performed 710 follow up investigations and referrals. The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office Family Protection Unit was created as a direct result of the self-assessment process espoused by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., proving once again that accreditation does work. In this case the process worked to significantly improve available services to all of the victims of domestic violence. Sheriff John E. Zaruba
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