How police in two northern Ontario cities are tackling a rise in intimate partner violence

Sault Ste. Marie police see results from follow-up calls

Every time someone calls police about intimate partner violence or IPV, they get a call back from an officer working in the IPV unit — a unit that explicitly handles calls for service related to domestic violence — 24 to 48 hours later to see if the complainant needs other kinds of help.

The callback system was implemented for service calls where charges might not be laid, but the complainant could still be at risk. According to Duguay, these calls frequently concern property disagreements and requests for an individual’s removal.

“The concept was around doing a call back to individuals who maybe didn’t feel comfortable wanting to speak about potential occurrences at that time and give them a second opportunity to speak with our officers in what they maybe feel is a more secure and safe time frame for them,” Duguay said. 

Part of that conversation between officers and a complainant includes safety planning, which may include changing locks, informing neighbors, improving lighting, alerting family and friends, or relocating to a safer place.

Sudbury launches dedicated unit to handle rising IPV cases

“We decided to create a unit that would allow us to meet the needs of our community,” Hiltz said. 

She explained that the unit is made up of four dedicated officers who have “completed specialized training in trauma-informed interviewing, domestic violence investigations and risk assessment techniques.”

“We just want to ensure there’s a consistent expert approach in handling these sensitive and often really complex cases that involve vulnerable women and girls and those involved in coercive control and abusive relationships,” Hiltz said. 

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