Regional Domestic Violence Unit (Details)

Name of province/ territory:

British Columbia

City/ Region:

Saanich

Description of Initiative:

The Regional Domestic Violence Unit (RDVU) provides a multidisciplinary approach to dealing with the highest risk factor domestic violence situations within the Capital Region (e.g., where an evaluation has been done that indicates that the victim is at the highest risk of violence based on a number of factors as indicated by the BSAFER evaluation).

Initiative Key Objectives:

The key objectives are to ensure the safety of the victim, to ensure that a complete investigation has been conducted and appropriate charges are laid, and to ensure that the file is followed to the end of the process. Police officers, victim service workers and Ministry of Children and Family Development staff work together to ensure a ‘wrap around’ service is provided to the victim.

Section Responsible for Implementation:

It is a regional unit so it reports back to the joint management team, but falls under the Detective Unit in our department.

Key Contact:

Jason Laidman
laidmanj@vicpd.ca

Groups/ Agencies/ Key Partners Involved:

  • community groups
  • other police services
  • police association or union
  • other government departments/agencies

Level of Involvement (consultative - information sharing) and/or cooperative - direct involvement):

There is direct involvement among groups and agencies. They work together on files. The work is very interactive. The unit puts together individual plans that are multidisciplinary depending on the file.

Amount of Time Initiative has been in Place:

This initiative has been in place for three years.

Reason for Undertaking the Initiative:

This initiative was undertaken as a result of a review of the Lee incident where a man murdered his wife and children. The review determined there were jurisdictional issues (silos). It was felt a regional unit could have communicated better and dealt with the file better in an integrated and multidisciplinary approach.

Resources Required to Implement this Initiative:

There were significant set-up costs, including finding office space for seven to eight people and the initial outlay for equipment (office, car, etc.). We don’t charge the RDVU for office space or IT service at the present time. If we were to do so, we would likely charge in the area of $14 per square foot per year for the approximately 1000 square feet of office space they occupy. An IT service contract would likely be approximately $5,000-7,000 per year for the needs of eight staff. The unit has use of two vehicles which were purchased for $25,000 each. Insurance, maintenance and fuel come to approximately $4,000 per year each.

Individual departments pick up the costs of their officers and the provincial government pays for their employees. Those groups and agencies that use the service, but don’t contribute bodies, pay about $50,000-80,000 per year to access the service.

Currently, Saanich Police and Westshore Detachment of the RCMP each provide one investigator and Victoria Police Department (VPD) provides one supervisor at its own cost (wages and benefits). VPD provided a third member, which they recalled and did not replace. Optimally, this member needs to be replaced and there is ample justification for an additional investigator.

The cost of the civilian support member (3/4 quarter time FTE), investigative expenses, a minimal overtime budget (extraordinary overtime is the responsibility of the jurisdiction from which the file originated), vehicle replacement reserve and various administrative supplies are borne by the Oak Bay and Central Saanich Police. Sidney, North Saanich and Sooke municipalities (RCMP detachments) contribute $67,000 annually to the operations of the unit. There is no ability to recover costs beyond what appears above.

Method of Implementation:

It started as a pilot project by the provincial government with the input of area police and other ministries (Children and Families, etc.).

Key Outcomes of the Initiative:

Yes, absolutely the outcomes meet the objectives. It is far more effective and brings consistency in how these types of files are investigated and dealt with. The processes that are in place ensure that these types are files are dealt with more quickly and more appropriately.

Availability of a Communication Strategy:

Yes

Key Messages used to Publicize the Initiative:

There have been both external (media) and internal communications strategies explaining how the initiative works and messaging that it is more effective and comprehensive. This was high-profile for us as it came out of a review recommendation and on the heels of a high-profile murder.

Forms of Evaluation by which the Initiative will be Assessed:

  • external
  • quantitative
  • qualitative

Evaluation Completed or Community Feedback Received:

Yes

Summary of the Outcomes:

The evaluation was positive and found that the initiative was achieving goals and was good value for money.

Summary of the Performance Measure Data Collected:

N/A

Economics of Policing Pillars:

Further Details:

We had some issues with sharing information between the involved agencies that needed some reform and issues with civilian members having direct access to PRIME that needed to be resolved.

Additional Comments or Suggestions:

I believe a more sustainable funding solution is to establish a budget that included the wages and benefits of the police and civilian members of the unit and then apportion a percentage of that budget to the respective agencies in a formula which recognizes population, case burdens, police agency size, crime rates, etc.

Record Entry Date:

2013-08-01

Date modified: