EPS to use question list to assess likelihood domestic offenders will reoffend

Edmonton police are going to be keeping closer tabs on perpetrators of domestic violence.

As of this month, officers are going to be using the ODARA Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment to track the likelihood that someone who commits a domestic assault will do so again.

Insp. Carlos Cardoso told the Edmonton Police Commission Thursday thatpolice do not currently have a way of tracking the effectiveness of the intervention programs they've been using to work with victims and offenders.

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Using the 13-question ODARA,officers will start collecting data on offenderswith the intention of gaining insight into how likely they are to commit other domestic assaults.

The ODARA, developed by the Ontario Provincial Police in partnership with mental health organizations, focuses on perpetrators' records to gain insight into their behavioural patterns.

It asks questions such aswhether they have abusive pasts, whether they've been to jail before and whether they have children.A higher score typically means a higher chance of reoffending.

Edmonton police Chief Rod Knecht said the domestic violence rate in Edmonton has been climbing since 2015, when there were about 8,500 incidents.

People, certainly the victims, felt a certain level of shame I think we've moved beyond that.- Rod Knecht, Edmonton Police Service

"People, certainly the victims, felt a certain level of shame," Knecht said. "I think we've moved beyond that."

While officers are responding to an increased volume of calls, it's not immediately clear whether they're coming from the same people.

Challenges oftracking domestic violence

Knecht said a lot of domestic violence reports are from the past;people contacting police about situations that happened months, even yearsago.

Another challenge is these incidents typically take place behind closed doors, oftentimes in private homes.

It's not a situation where the police can observe that or will be there.- RodKnecht, Edmonton Police Service

"It's not a situation where the police can observe that or will be there," Knecht said.

Edmonton police did moredomestic offender management checks in 2016 than in 2015. The checks areunscheduled visits to ensureoffenders are complying with court orders.

Officers also did more victim intervention checks, which are follow-ups to ensure victims are getting the supportthey need.

"We can tell you that in our experience working with victims of domestic violence, they have more of an enhanced sense of security in relation to us having interaction with them," Cardoso said.

Commissioner MickiRuth questioned how officers know those programs, in place for the past four years, are working.

"Do you know that this way of doing things is effective? Do you know that it's the right thing to do?" she asked."Recidivism rate is a measure. It's not the only measure."

Edmonton police are going to be working with MacEwan University psychology professor Sandy Jung as the ODARA is implemented. Jung and EPS hopeto get a more precise measure of recidivism rates and, subsequently, learn more about the effectivenessof current programming.

The ODARA is not only used by Ontario Provincial Police officers. It has also been picked up by RCMP and implemented insomesocial service agencies across the country, including in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.

roberta.bell@cbc.ca

@roberta__bell