By Stephen Witt
When some domestic violence complaints are called into the 67th Precinct and settled with or without an arrest, the matter is often still being monitored. That’s when Sgt. Beverly Brown and the precinct’s six-member domestic violence unit are called in to do follow-up calls. “We make regular home visits. Each officer must make 25 successful visits per month,” Brown told the precinct’s community council members at their recent monthly meeting at the stationhouse. Brown said the visits are deemed successful when the complainant is in the home and tells the officers that everything is fine. What precipitates the visits are if the complainants made one or more complaints of if the complaints were deemed so serious that visits are made to ensure there are no recurring incidents, she said. Brown said that for the last 28-day period, the precinct had 367 domestic violence reports, and while regular patrol cops answer the initial reports it is her unit that does the follow-ups. Right now domestic violence in the precinct is at about the same level it was last year, she said. “We make sure there are no more problems in the homes. Most of the time the victims are satisfied with the visits and if they are scared the victims will ask to visit again,” said Brown. “In a few cases, an order of protection was involved and in that case we have no option but to arrest the offender,” she answered. Brown said the precinct’s unit also works with the Kings County District Attorney’s office, sometimes referring help to the DA’s Family Justice Center. What constitutes domestic violence is incidents that happen either through blood relation or by marriage, and some incidents where a couple have a child in common and live together, Brown said. Brown said the offenses of domestic violence include such charges as harassment, aggravated harassment which utilizes such means as phone, email and text messaging, criminal mischief, violation of orders of protection and any other major crimes that may have gone on in the home. When visiting the home, if arrests are warranted they are made, and this includes if there is a violent crime at that time and the complainant has bruises on them, she said. Sometimes if there is a misdemeanor or felony offense the unit has no choice but to make the arrest, said Brown. Brown said if the unit observes bruises on a child they first question the parents or caretakers and if warranted, a report is made with the New York State Registry and the city’s Administration of Children’s Services (ACS). Additionally, there is a school unit in the precinct that covers possible abuse found in the schools, Brown said. Brown said that while most domestic violence involves the male as a perpetrator, there are incidents where the woman is the perpetrator. “We’re here if people need us and always there to help,” said Brown. People living in the confines of the 67th Precinct that may need help due to domestic violence are encouraged to call the unit at 287-3252.
