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Methodology & Timeline
The GCSADVHT employs an inclusive process beyond leveraging the subcommittees’ expertise to develop these recommendations. To develop these recommendations the subcommittees and Executive Director took a multi-pronged approach, including:
- Council Meetings: These gatherings facilitated information sharing between survivor-serving organizations and council members.
- Survivor Listening Sessions: Survivors and advocates were invited to share their experiences and insights.
- Roundtable Discussions: Survivors, advocates, and community leaders convened to discuss challenges and explore potential solutions.
- Stakeholder Meetings: Input was gathered from various organizations and individuals involved in addressing these issues.
- Site Visits: Crisis centers, shelters, and other frontline service providers were visited to observe intake and support processes.
- Review of Best Practices: Best practices from other states and jurisdictions were examined to identify potential model programs.
- Review of Existing Research: Research on lethality tools, strangulation documentation, and existing team surveys was analyzed.
- Mapping of Services: Current prevention education, victim identification, and support services across Massachusetts were mapped.
By synthesizing information from these diverse sources, the Council formulated the following recommendations for policy and practice improvements, addressing the complex needs of those affected by sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking in Massachusetts.
Initial Development Phase (January 2022-June 2024)
The recommendations development process began with Co-chairs working collaboratively to draft initial recommendations by June 28, 2024. This phase involved extensive research, stakeholder consultation, and analysis of current program effectiveness. Co-chairs were tasked with ensuring recommendations align with current best practices and address emerging needs in the field.
Multi-Level Review Process (August-November 2024)
The review process involved multiple stages of evaluation and refinement. Beginning with the Lieutenant Governor's review in August, the recommendations undergo careful scrutiny and revision. Co-chairs had the opportunity to refine their proposals in September based on initial feedback. The Secretariats' review in October ensures alignment with broader state initiatives and policies. The final review by the Governor's team in early November focuses on implementation feasibility and policy alignment.
Publication and Implementation (December 2024)
The final recommendations, incorporating feedback from all review stages, were published in December 2024. This document will serve as a roadmap for the Council's work in the coming years, outlining specific actions, timelines, and responsibility assignments for implementing new initiatives and improving existing programs.
Subcommittee Recommendations
This section highlights the recommendations put forward by the six recommending subcommittees.
Assessment and Response
Intimate Partner Abuse Education Programs (IPAEPs)
IPAEPs aim to address the root causes of domestic violence by changing offenders' attitudes and behaviors related to power, control, and personal responsibility. These programs go beyond basic safety planning and anger management, emphasizing accountability and working in coordination with other community services. The theory of change posits that by providing effective programming, leveraging a coordinated community response, and mandating completion as a probation condition, IPAEPs can effectively reduce domestic violence recidivism, ultimately saving lives and resources.
R1: Increase Referrals to Intimate Partner Abuse Education Programs
This is a crucial step in addressing domestic violence. Education programs can help individuals recognize abusive behaviors, understand the dynamics of power and control, and develop healthy relationship skills. By increasing referrals to these programs, we can empower more people to break the cycle of abuse and create safer communities. See below for additional strategies we recommend.
R1A: Launch a Public Awareness Campaign
Enhancing public awareness of IPAEPs is essential. This effort is key to improving knowledge and understanding of IPAEPs as valuable resources for addressing domestic violence. By educating the public about the existence and benefits of these programs, we can encourage individuals to seek help and support.
R1B: Develop a Multi-Sector Training Initiative
Develop and provide expanded training modules on the roles, practices (including risk assessment protocols), and outcomes of IPAEPs in collaboration with community partners. Target a diverse range of sectors, including District Attorneys, clergy, the Department of Children and Families, substance abuse organizations, domestic violence agencies, community mental health providers, healthcare providers, educators, Employee Assistance Programs, general violence prevention organizations, and agencies working with underserved communities (e.g., ESL programs, citizenship classes, community health fairs).
R1C: Strengthen IPAEP Capacity
Increase the capacity of IPAEPs to provide education and foster partnerships with other domestic violence organizations, enhancing their overall effectiveness and reach.
R1D: Enhance Judicial System Awareness of IPAEPs
Increase awareness of IPAEPs as a resource within the family and juvenile courts, ensuring that these crucial components of the judicial system are well-informed about the program's potential benefits.
R1E: Enhance Court Training
Coordinate with Massachusetts Family and Probate Court and Juvenile Courts to provide comprehensive statewide training on the roles, practices (including risk assessment protocols), and outcomes of IPAEPs. This training should target judges, magistrates, clerks, probation officers, and court clinics to enhance their understanding and utilization of IPAEPs as a valuable resource.
R1F: Enhance Probation Officer Risk Assessment Education
Develop and implement a targeted educational program to increase probation officers' awareness and understanding of the risk assessment protocols employed by IPAEPs across all courts. Additionally, provide statewide training on the Batterer Intervention Risk Assessment and Management protocol used by all IPAEPs in Massachusetts. This training should explain the protocol and highlight how IPAEPs and probation officers can collaborate to manage the risk of high-lethality probationers mandated to IPAEPs.
R1G: Culturally Specific Evaluation Framework
Develop a comprehensive methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of IPAEPs in culturally specific communities, ensuring that the programs are responsive and appropriate for diverse populations.
High Risk Teams
High-risk teams are specialized, multi-disciplinary units focused on preventing intimate partner homicides by identifying and intervening in the most dangerous domestic violence cases. These teams typically comprise professionals from various fields, including law enforcement (LE), social services, healthcare, and victim advocacy. Their primary objective is to identify, assess, and intervene in situations where victims face the greatest risk of severe harm or homicide.
The promise of high-risk teams lies in their ability to provide targeted, coordinated responses to the most dangerous cases of domestic violence. By combining expertise and resources, these teams aim to implement comprehensive safety measures, manage high-risk offenders, and provide crucial support to victims.
R2: Improve High-Risk Teams
To improve the effectiveness of high-risk teams, we recommend the following.
R2A: Revise Standards for High-Risk Teams
Continue to review and edit the guidelines for high-risk teams (HRTs) to include the requirement of a yearly safety and accountability report that identifies systemic gaps and unmet needs of survivors to be addressed, including those of underserved communities at the highest risk for IPH.
R2B: Increase Diversity in High-Risk Teams
Strategically increase the racial and cultural diversity of high-risk teams, service providers, and first responders; implement the Massachusetts Women of Color Network recommendations from their 2021 Keeping Black Women Alive: Responding to Intimate Partner High Risk in Black Communities report.
R2C: Increase Access to Legal Support
Increase access to trained lawyers for survivors, particularly in high-risk domestic violence cases.
R2D: Increase of High-Risk Teams
Expand high-risk teams, especially in communities with high rates of intimate partner violence, based on need and relevant data.
R2E: Explore Grant Funding for HRT Coordinator
Consider exploring grant funding for a statewide High-Risk Team Coordinator at The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS). This role would be overseen by the Executive Director of the Governor's Council to Address Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking.
R2F: Increase Language Interpretation Access
Develop a plan to increase language interpretation capacity, accessibility, and accountability for police departments, and other agencies that address domestic violence.
Early Interventions
The Early Interventions Subcommittee addresses domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, with a focus on children and youth. These recommendations are focused on children’s exposure to various forms of violence.
R1: Ensure Intimate Partner Abuse Training for Behavioral Health and Education Professionals
Ensure that all staff and treatment providers within the Behavioral Health Road Map framework, educational system, and community mental health providers receive specific training on intimate partner abuse (IPA) in families. This training should be provided as part of the onboarding process and included as a critical component of continuing education training.
The primary goals are to develop a foundational understanding of trauma-focused interventions for child and family victims of domestic violence, the roles of community agencies like DCF, law enforcement, and the court system, the Handle with Care Program, and specialized child and family domestic violence support services, with the ultimate aim of building capacity and skills to reduce harm and increase the availability of skilled clinicians.
R2: Establish A Youth Trauma Care Standards Advisory Committee
Establish a volunteer advisory committee of clinical experts in the field and relevant key stakeholders who will offer guidelines and standards for therapeutic programs serving children and youth who may have been exposed to domestic violence or other forms of violence, such as sexual violence or human trafficking.
The primary goals are to assess the current mental health delivery system for children in Massachusetts, with a focus on the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership and Mental Health Road Map services and reimbursement for qualified independent clinicians. This aims to reduce wait times and increase access to diverse trauma and IPA-trained clinicians. Additionally, the goals include surveying the availability of these services statewide and providing professionals with the latest research and evidence-based training and intervention techniques.
R3: Improve Behavioral Health Workforce Pipeline
Improve workforce pipeline, recruitment, and retention of behavioral health clinicians providing trauma-informed care in community-based and crisis settings through supportive payment models and workforce initiatives. We also recommend the following to strengthen the behavioral health workforce pipeline.
R3A: Improve Access to Trauma-Informed Care Training
Improve access to trauma-informed care training for medical and behavioral health clinicians who work with youth and families. Improve family and caregiver awareness of youth behavioral health resources that provide trauma-informed care to support children exposed to domestic violence.
R3B: Empower Private Practice Providers to Join MassHealth Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP) Networks
Inform and encourage private practice practitioners to join MassHealth, MBHP, and managed care networks to increase access to trauma-informed behavioral health clinicians in the community.
Healthy Relationship Education
R4: Implement Inclusive Healthy Relationship Education in Schools
Support the implementation of age-appropriate, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive curriculum and support services throughout the Commonwealth’s school systems focused on building healthy relationships.
Economic Mobility
The Cliff Effect
The financial burden of sexual assault, domestic violence, and trafficking is significant and not shouldered exclusively by victims and survivors. While abuse or assault can occur anywhere, the numbers are significant among low-income women, and the continued violence can make escaping poverty nearly impossible. Violence often interferes with one's ability to work, and in some instances, needing to escape an abuser can make a victim an unreliable employee.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that improving financial stability could reduce financial dependence on a perpetrator and help reduce intimate partner violence (Niolon et al., 2017). The CDC identifies tax credits or childcare subsidies, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) as potential supports for victims of domestic violence. While often an essential stopgap, the potential long-term reliance on this public assistance creates a benefits cliff.
R1: Integrate Survivor Perspectives in Benefits Cliff Analysis and Funding
The Economic Mobility Subcommittee recommends that survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking be part of the conversation and related analysis when studying the benefits cliff and that funding be obtained or allocated to support this work.
Transportation
Access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation is essential for victims and survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, and trafficking. Abusers may monitor a survivor’s whereabouts or control their finances, making working, getting help, and saving money for relocation nearly impossible.
Massachusetts has a mostly cohesive statewide transportation network through the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the fifteen regional transit authorities (RTAs) across the state (Commonwealth of Massachusetts, n.d.). Partnering with MassDOT, the MBTA, and RTAs, the Commonwealth should offer low—or no-cost public transit to survivors. To address transportation challenges survivors and victims may face mentioned above, we recommend the following.
R2: Offer low—or no-cost public transit to survivors
Include survivors as a priority population for MassMobility to offer fare subsidies and vouchers. Additionally, the subcommittee recognizes that this solution will not support all survivors. Some victims and survivors do not live close to reliable public transportation, others have trauma that precludes them from utilizing busy public transit, and others still may not have a schedule that allows them to rely on public transit. For these reasons, we recommend the following.
R2B: Identify Alternative Transportation Solutions for Survivors
To increase access to transportation for survivors in collaboration with EOPSS, MassDOT should consider partnering with a ride-share company or applying for a grant like those identified above.
Housing
While access to housing has been identified as an important barrier to economic mobility, the Housing Subcommittee of this Council focuses on it. We defer to its recommendations.
Childcare
Access to reliable childcare is essential for domestic violence survivors seeking safety and independence, as well as all parents across the state. We commend the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) for expanding access to reliable childcare for survivors of domestic violence. In promulgating the new Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) regulations, EEC added families experiencing domestic violence as a priority access category related to the CCFA waitlist.
Workforce Development Services
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (“WIOA”) supports the Commonwealth’s MassHire network, which includes the Massachusetts Department of Career Services (MDCS), MassHire’s statewide network of Career Centers—staffed by state and local partners, MassHire Workforce Boards, and the MassHire State Workforce Board (Commonwealth of Massachusetts, n.d.). In addition to supporting employers and the business community, these resources are designed to help job seekers access employment, training, education, and related support services to succeed in the labor market.
In addition to the employment and training services that the MassHire Career Centers provide across the state, MDCS also provides targeted employment and training services to Veterans. Victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and trafficking share many of the same vulnerabilities as veterans.
R3: Improve Workforce Access for SADVHT Victims and Survivors
Many victims and survivors lack the education and training resources needed to succeed in the workplace, and most employers lack the trauma-informed training necessary to support them adequately (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998). In collaboration with SADVHT providers, MassHire could provide victims with training resources and wraparound support services, and it could partner with nonprofits to educate employers. This would increase employment outcomes and related opportunities, thus increasing economic mobility.
R3A: Enhance MassHire System Training
To improve workforce support for survivors and victims, we recommend that the MassHire system implement regular trauma-informed training for MassHire system employees to enable direct service providers to better support victims of SADVHT.
Support Services
R4: Implement a Public Information Campaign Highlighting Survivor Resources
The subcommittee recommends a public information campaign for all survivors to educate them on available resources, including important contact information, nonprofit partners, and easy, anonymous reporting. This could include videos played in the career centers, brochures or informational pamphlets to be distributed broadly but made available at the career centers, and public advertising on bus benches, trash cans, and billboards in high-traffic areas. Developing these materials in a trauma-informed way will require funding and research.
R5: Increase Financial Wellbeing of SADVHT Survivors
Gender-based violence economically impacts survivors and victims through healthcare costs, lost wages, job instability, and financial insecurity. Marginalized populations face disproportionate, intersecting economic adversities rooted in systemic oppression, creating complex economic hardships that hinder financial recovery (Koss et al., 2017; Loya, 2014b; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2006).
Conduct research to design a pilot program that provides flexible financial assistance to survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking through combined state and private funding. The study should examine methods for distributing survivor-directed aid through mechanisms such as direct cash transfers and refundable tax credits, while establishing clear eligibility criteria and impact metrics. Key research components should include evaluating distribution methods, measuring program effectiveness, and assessing potential for scalability to inform broader implementation.
R6: Expand Domestic Violence Workplace Training and Policies
Additionally, Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development (EOLWD), through its many touchpoints with the business community, could encourage domestic violence training and related workplace policies. Such training could be incentivized through a tax credit or required by regulation.
Domestic Violence Employment Policies could be required to be conspicuously posted at all workplaces (Commonwealth of Massachusetts, n.d.). The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recommends that all employers have a workplace policy specifically addressing intimate partner violence (National Network to End Domestic Violence, 2022). Prioritizing education and prevention could help mitigate some of the costs already shouldered by the government and taxpayers while creating a safer environment for victims and survivors.
R7: Include an Economic Mobility Sub-Subcommittee on Each Subcommittee
Economic Mobility touches every aspect of the Council’s work. The Council should consider requiring an economic mobility sub-subcommittee on each subcommittee and/or requiring each subcommittee to consider the continuum of economic mobility in its recommendations.
Housing Stability (HS)
Training and Collaboration
Through collaborations among current and former HS members, including the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), MassHousing, and the Department of Public Health, well over 1,300 participants have already been trained on the intersection of affordable housing and SADVHT. A comprehensive housing search guide for SADVHT advocates has been developed and broadly shared.
A series of training sessions are planned for SADVHT advocates to learn about housing-related resources through the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EHS) agencies and EOHLC. However, with a high turnover rate among both advocate and housing staff, these trainings will need to be regularly repeated and updated whenever program changes and policies occur. To address this issue, the HS recommends the following.
R1: Expand Housing Training Opportunities for SADVHT Advocates
Deliver regular training on the intersection of affordable housing and sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking. Due to high staff turnover, ensure these trainings are frequently repeated for both advocates and housing staff.
R1A: Expand Housing Training Resources for Providers
Create and disseminate a housing search guide for advocates supporting SVDVHT survivors and ensure translation and printing support for these resources.
Resource Awareness
Providing targeted rental vouchers and comprehensive information for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking is crucial because it directly addresses their urgent need for safe, stable housing. Access to safe and affordable housing breaks cycles of violence, supports psychological healing, promotes economic independence, and reduces potential for continued victimization. By offering accessible resources and housing assistance, can support enabling individuals to escape dangerous situations and rebuild their lives with dignity and security.
R2: Implement Housing Public Information Campaign
To address this need, the HS recommends implementing a comprehensive public information campaign designed to educate survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking about available housing and support resources. The campaign should utilize multiple communication channels, including social media, targeted digital advertising, community center informational materials, collaboration with local healthcare providers, domestic violence shelters, and survivors' support networks. Materials should be developed in multiple languages, feature trauma-informed messaging, and provide clear, accessible information about housing voucher programs, eligibility criteria, application processes, and additional support services.
The campaign should prioritize survivor safety by offering discreet, confidential methods of accessing information, such as anonymous helplines, online resources, and partnerships with trusted community organizations. Additionally, the initiative should include training for frontline service providers to ensure they can effectively communicate and guide survivors through available housing assistance options, creating a supportive and empowering approach to resource dissemination.
Continuums of Care
In addition to these training collaborations, SADVHT advocacy agencies have also begun collaborating with their local Continuums of Care (CoC), a regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals, to apply for federal funding to rapidly rehouse and otherwise support survivors who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. These collaborations have totaled over $6M in new federal funds and are now approaching $12M in CoC funding for survivors in MA. More SADVHT agencies are interested in exploring these collaborations and applying for these federal resources, but they will need technical assistance.
R3: Provide CoC Technical Assistance to SADVHT Providers
To address this challenge, we recommend providing technical assistance to SADVHT providers on how to apply to CoC processes and training opportunities for providers seeking federal funding.
Access to Housing
Other housing resources have been made available and are being piloted. EOHLC has made available two tranches of mobile vouchers to help survivors in DV emergency shelters move into permanent affordable housing, including 64 MA Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) resources and 50 Moving to Work (MTW) Section 8 vouchers. The New England Affordable Housing Management Association (NEAHMA) is working on a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) emergency transfer pilot program to help survivors relocate from an unsafe affordable housing unit to another that’s owned or operated by a participating housing entity. As vital resources for survivors made homeless by sexual and domestic violence, HS recommends the following:
R4: Allocate MRVP and/or MTW Section 8
EOHLC Policy Changes to Expand Housing Protections for Survivors.
On state housing policy, housing protections available to survivors (e.g., emergency transfers, eviction protection) vary depending on what housing program they are in. VAWA applies to federal housing programs and provides broad protections. EOHLC has included these broad protections for MRVP. However, other state housing programs do not have these protections. This means that a survivor’s ability to keep safe in affordable housing varies significantly depending on what type of housing they live in.
R5: Expand VAWA Housing Protections to State Public Housing
The HS recommends that the Healey-Driscoll Administration expand the coverage of VAWA housing protections for survivors to include the 41,000 state public housing units in Massachusetts. The HS is also interested in eventually exploring expansion to all state-funded housing programs, but it understands the breadth of those programs, the complexity involved in making the change, and the development of ways to monitor for compliance. The HS also recommends that EOHLC adopt policies and procedures to ensure VAWA compliance by covered housing providers. As EOHLC considers what specific policies and procedures to adopt, the Subcommittee recommends that EOHLC review the National Council of State Housing Agencies' list of best practices.
Emergency Assistance (EA) Family Shelter System
While HS does not have a formal, actionable recommendation regarding the EA family shelter system, we want to highlight the overlay of the family homelessness crisis with SADVHT issues -- and strongly request the Administration include SDV organizations, experts, and/or survivors in their EA discussions. Studies have shown that up to 60% of families in EA report SDV as the cause of their homelessness.
EOHLC is dealing with a growing number of reports of sexual and domestic violence incidents for which EA providers are ill equipped to manage. EA providers are seeking training on SDV, and survivors are asking for SDV supports. SDV providers are facing increasing demand from homeless survivors seeking shelter and service they cannot meet. These issues are discussed at every HSS meeting.
R6: Include SADVHT Field in EA Planning Efforts
We respectfully request that the Administration include the SDV field in their planning efforts to support families through these systems and transitions.
Human Trafficking
During its first year, the subcommittee has developed a comprehensive strategy to combat sex trafficking in Massachusetts. This initiative, known as "the Plan," combines both research and action-based approaches to address the issue. The strategy operates on three fundamental objectives: strengthening prevention efforts, enhancing support for those impacted by human trafficking, and holding perpetrators accountable.
EHS has contracted with ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School to develop a five-year strategic plan that outlines human trafficking prevention and intervention activities in the Commonwealth, working at the direction of and with the support of the Human Trafficking Subcommittee (HTS) of the Governor's Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking.
The Plan
R1: Execute a Comprehensive 5-Year Strategy to Combat Sex Trafficking
The Human Trafficking (HT) Subcommittee is recommending the implementation of the 5-year plan to address sex trafficking with the following scope, components, funding, and timetable, as outlined by “The Plan.”
Human Trafficking and Transportation
The transportation industry, in particular, has been identified as a key access point for traffickers to move victims and conduct their illicit operations (Habermann et al., 2021; Sokat, 2022). Truck stops, rest areas, and transit hubs can all serve as locations where traffickers recruit new victims or facilitate the transport of those already trapped in their networks. As such, equipping transportation workers with the knowledge and tools to recognize and report suspected trafficking is a vital component of a comprehensive anti-trafficking strategy.
R2: Implement Human Trafficking Awareness Training for Transportation Personnel
HTS recommends implementing comprehensive human trafficking awareness training for MassDOT personnel, including field staff, maintenance crews, rest area personnel, and transit workers. This targeted training will equip employees with critical knowledge to recognize and appropriately respond to potential human trafficking situations, enhancing safety and support for vulnerable individuals across transportation networks.
By educating frontline workers, the initiative leverages their strategic positioning to identify and intervene in potential trafficking scenarios, potentially preventing harm and supporting victims. By providing frontline workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize and report potential trafficking situations, we can significantly enhance public safety, disrupt trafficker operations, and support victims. This training will not only empower individuals to protect vulnerable populations but also foster collaboration among transportation providers, law enforcement, and social services. Additionally, by raising public awareness and reducing the long-term costs associated with trafficking, we can create a more just and equitable society.
Military, Veterans, & Families
Sexual and domestic violence affects both civilian and military communities in Massachusetts. In 2023, the state reported 4,060 sex offenses. While the military provides annual training on prevention and response, gaps in data collection and reporting hinder a comprehensive assessment of abuse and crime rates related to military personnel. National Guard and Reserve members face unique challenges, as they may experience sexual assault or domestic violence during active service or inactive duty training.
Military service introduces specific risk factors for intimate partner violence, including multiple deployments, family separation, and potential mental health issues. Although the Department of Defense has implemented prevention and response activities, challenges persist in awareness efforts and information sharing between private and public sectors.
Firearm Access
The 1996 Lautenberg Amendment of the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968 significantly expanded restrictions on firearm possession for individuals involved in domestic violence. This law makes it a felony for anyone convicted of a domestic violence offense, even a misdemeanor, or subject to a restraining order for harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child, to possess, transport, or receive firearms or ammunition. Importantly, this law applies to everyone, including LE and military personnel.
In addition to federal law, civilian abuse protection orders (CAPOs) may also prohibit firearm possession. When these restrictions apply to military personnel, the armed forces will confiscate government-issued weapons and ammunition, revoke the individual's right to possess them, and require the service member to dispose of any personally owned firearms. The military may also place the individual on a "do not arm" list, temporarily restricting access to government-issued weapons.
R1: Enhance Military Status Tracking
To enhance law enforcement’s awareness of active military status, we recommend that the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) implement a new standard requiring active-duty military members to register their active status with the RMV.
The recommendation aims to improve law enforcement's response to domestic violence incidents involving military personnel. By identifying a service member's military status, officers can:
- Identify the individual's military status during initial incident assessment
- Recognize potential risks associated with military personnel's access to firearms
- Document the need for firearm removal in the incident report, if applicable
- Formally notify the service member's commanding officer about the incident and recommended firearm intervention
Upon receiving notification from law enforcement, the commanding officer can:
- Review the reported incident and associated risk factors
- Exercise discretionary authority to remove firearms from the service member
- Prevent the service member's access to additional weapons
- Initiate appropriate administrative or disciplinary actions consistent with military protocols
- Ensure victim safety through command-level intervention
This approach creates a coordinated response mechanism that leverages both law enforcement and military command structures to interrupt potential escalation of violence and protect potential victims.