Violence
Experts
on Call
Award-winning program pairs
domestic violence specialists
with officers.
?When Christopher Boyd began his job as chief of the newly
formed Citrus Heights Police Department in 2006, the
law enforcement veteran quickly realized the prevalence of
domestic violence calls pouring in.
?“It was a major problem,” Boyd says.
?
A longtime champion of community-based policing, Boyd
started looking at ways to deal with the issue. He joined the
board of a non-profit domestic violence agency in the city of
88,000 in Sacramento County, helped build up the agency,
and by 2009 he had come up with an innovative partnership
with the city’s Domestic Violence Intervention Center.
?
Now, Boyd and the Citrus Heights PD are being honored
for their work in handling domestic violence cases with the
2012 James Q. Wilson Award for Excellence in Community
Policing. Boyd and his fellow officers will be recognized
at the 2012 California Police Chiefs Association Training
Symposium on March 12 in Sacramento.
“This is such an honor for our police department,” said
Boyd, 45. “This award embodies the community-policing
philosophy that is part of our department’s culture.”
With the exception of traffic stops, domestic violence calls
are considered the most dangerous and unpredictable for
police officers. Raw emotions and trigger-hair tempers can
quickly turn a victim against an officer who is there to offer
help. Children and other witnesses can become spooked by
cops carrying guns and handcuffs.
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Behind The Badge
Citrus Heights Chief Christopher Boyd