MU Launches Another Year of Domestic Violence Research

The University of Missouri Law School is launching a third year of domestic violence research in Missouri – after the Department of Public safety renewed their grant for the study. Law Professor Mary Beck says the study looks at civil protective orders as well as incident reports and prosecutions related to domestic violence. She says the data they are analyzing are meant to help law enforcement officials and shelter workers successfully deal with domestic violence issues. Beck says so far the study reveals that police don’t always file reports, prosecutors don’t always prosecute filed reports, and judges don’t always grant prosecutors the exceptions in evidence needed for domestic violence cases. But, Beck says law enforcement agencies throughout most of the state handle these types of cases well. She points to Boone County’s Domestic Violence Enforcement Unit – saying that team focuses on coordination between shelter workers, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and judges. She says it is the local communities, which lack the resources for such coordination, that struggle with domestic violence issues.