Police: New program working
HUNTLEY – Repeat domestic offenders, beware – the Huntley Police Department has its eye on you.
It’s been three months since Huntley police developed a new program to help curb domestic violence, and its coordinator, Sgt. Linda Hooten, said the changes had been well-received.
“We’ve done probably 15 to 20 follow-ups just based on the types of domestics they were,” Hooten said. “Several of the victims have gotten orders of protection with officers spending more time talking about it.”
The program started in April in an effort to increase victim assistance and follow-up visits after domestic calls. The idea was partly in response to February’s domestic-related murder of a 33-year-old Huntley woman, to whose home police had responded eight times over several months for problems with her ex-fiancé.
But today, Huntley police have been keeping “better tabs” on repeat offenders, Hooten said.
“We have been getting more information out of these follow-ups, and more history because [the individuals] are not as upset,” Hooten said. “It’s not the heat of the moment.”
Department-wide, officers are assigned to an area of town. Often, the officer responding to the initial scene will conduct the follow-up the next day, but if he or she is unavailable, only one of a few other officers potentially would be sent to the home.
“It’s more comfortable for the victim to see the same officer,” Hooten said.
Hooten’s job includes organizing resources to accommodate victims’ needs and “scoring” domestic violence reports by specific criteria.
The higher the score – such as a case of a multiple offender or a violation of an order of protection – the more often police will revisit the home where the domestic dispute occurred within 24 hours.
Other services the program offers include zero tolerance for offenders who return to the home within 72 hours after a domestic-related arrest, police transportation to medical facilities or shelters, and providing a liaison to the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Hooten added that any possible adjustments to the program would be made after completing the one-year pilot.