Law enforcement leadership and collaboration with domestic and sexual violence agencies: perspectives from police chiefs and sheriffs

Purpose Police chiefs and sheriffs have the crucial responsibility of entering their agencies into collaborations with service providers in their community, such as domestic and sexual violence agencies (DSVAs). This study examines how these leaders perceive and make decisions regarding collaborations. Design/methodology/approach We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 police chiefs and sheriffs in a Southern state and employed thematic analysis. Findings Four key findings demonstrated that law enforcement (LE) leaders balanced their sense of responsibility to victims of domestic and sexual violence with concern for the experiences of frontline officers when responding to domestic and sexual violence incidents. Leaders expressed a desire to know what happens to victims after LE responds in a crisis and described role conflicts between LE and DVSAs. Practical implications Police chiefs and sheriffs should ensure they are modeling the attitudes toward and cultures around domestic violence they want their officers to employ. Victim service providers should provide feedback loops to LE leaders to enhance their commitment and investment in partnerships. Originality/value This study contributes to a limited, but growing body of research examining collaborations between LE and domestic violence service providers from the perspective of police chiefs and sheriffs as the primary decisions-makers for community-level relationships.