The Seattle Police, as opposed to some other law enforcement agencies, have taken an extra step in combating domestic violence. They have literally dedicated an entire unit to it stomping out domestic violence – the SPD Domestic Violence Unit.
The Domestic Violence Unit investigates felony and/or misdemeanor crimes involving family household members and people in relationships. The DV Unit Detectives conduct follow-up investigations that are based on police reports completed by patrol officers in the field. These detectives provide alleged victims information regarding the status of their case, whether a detective and/or advocate will be assigned, and whether a felony or misdemeanor charge will be filed. Detectives are tasked with responding to serious assaults 24-hours a day, 7 days a week; this is done to facilitate the expeditious and timely gathering of evidence that may otherwise go stale if not acted upon immediately.
Within the DV Unit there is a felony squad that investigates felony cases, and a misdemeanor squad that investigates crimes that do not rise to the level of a felony. The felony detectives work closely with the King County Prosecutor’s Office to prevent domestic violence from escalating, and the misdemeanor detectives work closely with the Seattle City Attorney’s Office to prevent to the same; this is so because felony matters are handled by King County Prosecutors, and misdemeanor matters are handled by Seattle City Attorney Prosecutors.
This SPD specialty unit not only handles DV cases but it also handles elder abuse and fraud, custodial interference and stalking, and coordinates the serving of Protection and Anti-Harassment Orders. The fact that Seattle PD has a DV unit is unique. Most cities simply rely on their ‘beat cops’ to handle DV matters. SPD has taken the extra step of dedicating an entire unit to their efforts in cracking down on domestic violence.
If you (or a loved one) find yourself facing a DV related criminal charge, it is infinitely important to immediately contact and hire a Seattle domestic violence attorney. The Seattle domestic violence attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys are highly qualified and reputable Seattle domestic violence lawyers that are dedicated to providing top notch, aggressive representation for those arrested for crime all across Western Washington and the Greater Puget Sound region. The team creates success by working with law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney’s office to ensure that all facts and circumstances related to the criminal allegations are considered in creating the fairest, most equitable and just resolution possible in light of all the surrounding circumstances of the given case. So, whether cited for domestic violence related assault, malicious mischief, property destruction or some other crime, protect yourself … call SQ Attorneys immediately at 206.441.0900.
