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10 Domestic Violence Reminders for Veteran Officers

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Dr. Richard Weinblatt

Dr. Richard B. Weinblatt, Ed.D., M.P.A., is the Director of the Institute for Public Safety (over Criminal Justice, Basic Police Academies, Fire Science, etc.) for Central Ohio Technical College. He previously served as a professor and program manager for the Criminal Justice Institute at Seminole Community College in Sanford, FL. He has earned instructor certifications in multiple disciplines. Those designations include Florida Criminal Justice Standards certified in general law enforcement topics, firearms, defensive tactics, and vehicle operations, as well as instructor certifications for Taser, pepper spray, and expandable baton.

He holds the Certified Law Enforcement Trainer (CLET) designation from the American Society for Law Enforcement Training (ASLET). Dr. Weinblatt has worked in several regions of the country in reserve and full-time sworn positions ranging from auxiliary police lieutenant in New Jersey to patrol division deputy sheriff in New Mexico to police chief in North Carolina. He has appeared on local and national television news programs and written extensively on law enforcement topics since 1990.

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In the wake of the tragic shooting death of North St. Paul, MN, Police Officer Richard Crittenden, it is crucial to note that the fallen badge bearer was not a rookie. Rather, he was a nine-year veteran of the force who, as it was described in newspaper accounts, “died saving someone else.” Another officer was also shot and injured but managed to shoot and kill the shooter.

As I read about this incident it reminded me of the aftermath of a violent domestic in progress that I had responded to, along with two other Patrol Division deputy sheriffs, years ago in Santa Fe County, NM. Later, after a particularly brutal eight-minute fight to subdue the suspect, another deputy commented that the incident was a wake-up call for her. She told me that she was reminded about the basics as she responded to these calls repeatedly in the course of our ten plus hour shifts. Veterans need to be reminded of the basics too.

The incident underscores figures released recently that domestics are deadly and experienced, veteran officers are not immune from the dangerous nature of domestic calls for police service. Most line of duty deaths involve officers with a few years under their belts, not the hyper alert rookies.