Executive Summary
Responding to domestic and family violence (DFV) requires multi-agency integrated response and police acknowledge it is not something they can address alone (Mundy and Seuffert 2021; Reuland et al. 2006), yet it is task taking a considerable portion of police time. National and international evidence shows integrating specialist DFV workers into police stations to support victims and provide connection to services while working alongside police can improve the quality of police response, and potentially save lives.
The purpose of this collaborative project between Domestic Violence Action Centre (DVAC), Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Centre for Justice, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) was to conduct an evaluation of an innovative pilot to improve the policing of DFV, through the colocation of a Domestic Violence Specialist (DVS) worker at Queensland Police station, Toowoomba. This report will assess how this co-location model between DVAC and the QPS host station meets DVAC co-location objectives, and recommendations 76 and 78 from the Not Now, Not Ever report (Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence in Queensland 2015: 226, 233). The Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce (2021: 585) recommendations also noted the importance of evaluating new responses to DFV, such as these.