Counties across state turn to Westchester policing program as a model for domestic violence response

News 12 got an inside look at the Westchester policing program that counties across the state are using as a model for domestic violence response.

News 12 Staff

Apr 27, 2022, 9:47 PM

Updated 973 days ago

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News 12 got an inside look at the Westchester policing program that counties across the state are using as a model for domestic violence response. 
The county's Domestic Violence High Risk Team trained officers in Bronxville Wednesday to use the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP).

It's a dozen simple questions that help officers know if someone is at high risk of being killed or seriously hurt by a partner. 
If they score high, they're immediately connected with an advocate at Westchester Medical Center.
The agencies that team up for the training say they've trained 40 out of 45 departments so far in the county, which ranks second in the state for most murders by significant others. 
"The most important thing is getting victims who have been underserved by all of us in the criminal justice system better protection, better service and better understanding," says White Plains Chief of Police Joe Castelli.

The county's Office for Women just received a $1 million grant in the fall to keep training departments over the next four years.