Sec. 22.
(1) Each police agency in this state shall, by January 1, 1995, develop, adopt, and implement written policies for police officers responding to domestic violence calls. The policies shall reflect that domestic violence is criminal conduct.
(2) Each police agency shall consult with the prosecuting attorney and with an area shelter for victims of domestic violence in the development, implementation, including training, and evaluation of the policies and standards.
(3) The policies shall address, but not be limited to addressing, all of the following:
(a) Procedures for conducting a criminal investigation with specific standards for misdemeanor and felony arrests.
(b) Procedures for making a criminal arrest. The procedures shall emphasize all of the following:
(i) In most circumstances, an officer should arrest and take an individual into custody if the officer has probable cause to believe the individual is committing or has committed domestic violence and his or her actions constitute a crime.
(ii) When the officer has probable cause to believe spouses, former spouses, individuals who have had a child in common, individuals who have or have had a dating relationship, or other individuals who reside together or formerly resided together are committing or have committed crimes against each other, the officer, when determining whether to make an arrest of 1 or both individuals, should consider the intent of this section to protect victims of domestic violence, the degree of injury inflicted on the individuals involved, the extent to which the individuals have been put in fear of physical injury to themselves or other members of the household, and any history of domestic violence between the individuals, if that history can reasonably be ascertained by the officer. In addition, the officer should not arrest an individual if the officer has reasonable cause to believe the individual was acting in lawful self-defense or in lawful defense of another individual.
(iii) A police officer's decision as to whether to arrest an individual should not be based solely on the consent of the victim to any subsequent prosecution or on the relationship of the individuals involved in the incident.
(iv) A police officer's decision not to arrest an individual should not be based solely upon the absence of visible indications of injury or impairment.
(c) Procedures for denial of interim bond, as provided in 1961 PA 44, MCL 780.581 to 780.588.
(d) Procedures for verifying a personal protection order issued under section 2950 or 2950a of the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.2950 and 600.2950a.
(e) Procedures for making an arrest for a violation of a personal protection order.
(f) Procedures for enforcing a valid foreign protection order.
(g) Procedures for providing or arranging for emergency assistance to victims including, but not limited to, medical care, transportation to a shelter, or remaining at the scene of an alleged incident of domestic violence for a reasonable time until, in the reasonable judgment of the police officer, the likelihood of further imminent violence has been eliminated.
(h) Procedures for informing the victim of community services and legal options that are available under section 15c of chapter IV.
(i) Procedures for preparing a written report, whether or not an arrest is made.
(j) Training of peace officers, dispatchers, and supervisors.
(k) Discipline for noncompliance with the policy.
(l) Annual evaluations of the policy.
(4) The local policies developed, adopted, and implemented under this section shall be in writing and shall be available to the public upon request.
(5) As used in this section:
(a) "Dating relationship" means frequent, intimate associations primarily characterized by the expectation of affectional involvement. Dating relationship does not include a casual relationship or an ordinary fraternization between 2 individuals in a business or social context.
(b) "Foreign protection order" means that term as defined in section 2950h of the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.2950h.
(c) "Valid foreign protection order" means a foreign protection order that satisfies the conditions for validity provided in section 2950i of the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.2950i.
History: Add. 1994, Act 69, Imd. Eff. Apr. 11, 1994 ;-- Am. 1994, Act 418, Eff. Apr. 1, 1995 ;-- Am. 2001, Act 194, Eff. Apr. 1, 2002 ;-- Am. 2005, Act 106, Imd. Eff. Sept. 14, 2005
Last modified: October 10, 2016