PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Rebecca Stewart

Telephone: 513-479-3335

Email: info@EndToDV.org

To End Travesty of Wrongful Arrest of Innocent Black Men, Police Need to Revamp Biased Arrest Policies

WASHINGTON / February 22, 2022 – Black men and women are equally likely to engage in partner abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year 1.47 million Black men, compared to 1.38 million Black women, are victims of sexual violence, domestic violence, or stalking (1). But police have been trained to believe that men are usually the perpetrator (2).

The experience of Carl Starling of Maryland highlights why police departments need to reconsider outdated stereotypes and revamp arrest policies.

Starling was a successful businessman and had no previous run-ins with the law. Then one morning, his wife physically attacked him. Starling went to the Court House to file a complaint. And when he got there, he saw his wife, who was filing a complaint against him.

In her complaint, she charged that her husband “slammed me into the bathroom wall…slammed me into the bathroom window/blinds…choking me the entire time before slinging me to the floor, and slamming my head against the floor, repeatedly.” (3)

But there was no corroborating evidence to support her claims – no damage to the premises, no blood on the floor, no bruises, and no other signs of injury. The next day, the woman underwent a medical examination. Again, no evidence of an assault. Despite the lack of hard evidence, the police decided to arrest the husband.

The man demanded a Trial by Jury. After a two-day trial, Starling was found innocent of all charges (4).

Starling concluded, “Each time I sought help from Prince George’s County Police, Sheriff’s Office and Family Court, her abuse behavior was rewarded. I was ordered to pay her court costs, her attorney’s fees, $1,000 a month spousal maintenance…. Family Court ordered me an additional $2,000 a month alimony, leaving me barely able to pay my own monthly expenses.”

The experience of Carl Starling highlights the plight of tens of thousands of Black men. Each year, 27,000 Black men are arrested for domestic violence, compared to only 6,000 Black women (5).

To bring an end to these civil rights violations, the Coalition to End Domestic Violence has developed model language for implementation by Police and Sheriffs’ Departments:

  1. For incidents that only involve verbal or psychological abuse, do not make an arrest. Instead, issue a civil citation, involve mental health personnel, and/or use other deflection methods.
  2. For first-time incidents between the parties that do not involve a serious physical injury, do not make an arrest. Instead, issue a civil citation, involve mental health personnel, and/or use other deflection methods.
  3. If the incident involves serious physical injury that can be verified by law enforcement or medical personnel, make an arrest.
  4. If the incident involves mutual violence, identify the person who initiated the physical contact in the current incident. Do not rely on arbitrary arrest criteria such as the sex, height, weight, or apparent strength of the parties.
  5. On the Arrest Log, indicate any domestic violence charge and sex of the person arrested. At least once every three months, compile the number of domestic violence arrests and sex of the person arrested, and publish this information on a publicly available website.
  6. Implement training programs to assure the new arrest policy is followed by front-line law enforcement personnel.

Following these guidelines will help bring an end to the widespread civil rights violations of innocent Black men.

Links:

  1. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010-2012 State Report. Tables 5.3 and 5.6. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs-statereportbook.pdf
  2. https://endtodv.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Predominant-Aggressor-Mass-Inceration.pdf
  3. https://endtodv.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Complaint-of-Ethical-and-Prosecutorial-Misconduct-1.5.2022.pdf
  4. https://endtodv.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Complaint-of-Ethical-and-Prosecutorial-Misconduct-1.5.2022.pdf
  5. https://endtodv.org/black-men/