Best Practices in Policing
Intimate partner violence is one of the most underreported crimes in the United States. The sensitive nature of proper police response and protocol is further complicated by the need to adequately serve transgender populations criminally victimized by intimate partners. Due to the complicated history between the police and transgender communities, many transgender people hesitate to involve the police in their affairs. While police are often the first responders to IPV incidents and can serve as both help-seeking resources and safety enforcers, best practices in police interactions with transgender survivors of IPV are rarely discussed in the literature or applied in the field. Researchers generally identify issues with transphobia in law enforcement, misgendering, improper call screening, non-tailored response, and other LGBTQ competency training issues. This chapter will highlight some of the unique challenges for law enforcement in responding to transgender IPV, with an eye toward ultimately improving responses to transgender survivors.