Hundreds seek domestic dispute Intervention

Due to an increase in the reported cases of intra-family violence, a Domestic Violence Intervention Centre (DVIC) was established at the Constant Spring Police Station in 2018. Since then, over 1,000 persons have made use of the facility through telephone conversations or in-person visits.

An additional three centres have been made operational at the Matilda’s Corner Police Station, as well as the Yallahs and Morant Bay police stations in St Thomas. A further six will be opened later this year in the parishes of St Ann, St Mary, Clarendon, Westmoreland, St Catherine and St Elizabeth.

These centres are pivotal in bridging the trust gap between the police and citizens and serve as a critical tool to treat violence resulting from domestic feuds.

“The feedback has been tremendous. It is evident that by even a simple follow-up phone call to persons seeking our assistance through this facility and finding out if they want further counselling or advice is hugely appreciated,” said Sergeant Dwight Thompson, one of the police officers associated with the programme at the Constant Spring Police Station.

He said the DVIC programme is working the way it was designed to, and that he believes that the programme plays an important role in the daily lives of people who are facing domestic challenges, “as they feel a sense now that somebody is listening and that there are specific locations where they can go to acquire counselling and strong advice”.

Deputy prime minister and minister of national security, Dr Horace Chang, in his contribution to the 2021-22 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 25, said that over 300 police officers have been sensitised and trained to support the work of the DVICs.

“An entire cadre of police officers, who are sensitised and attuned to all forms of intimate-partner and family violence and who are adequately prepared to take mitigating steps, will be added to the programme in the coming months,” Chang said.

He stated that the Jamaica Constabulary Force will be moving to institutionalise domestic violence sensitisation of all police officers, starting with a ‘Train the Trainer’ programme which will also be rolled out soon.

The DVIC programme is one of the security ministry’s overall crime mitigation strategies aimed at reducing intra-family violence.