Indiana State News by Ross Madison
It's more common than we would like to believe or expect from those who are sworn to public safety. Let's see what happened with this Indiana case, and then look at some national facts.
On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, just after 9:30 p.m., IMPD officers were dispatched to the 7600 block of Blue Willow Drive in reference to a disturbance involving allegations of a possible assault. When it was discovered that one of the involved parties was a current off-duty IMPD officer, detectives from IMPD’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) were requested for further investigation. IMPD continued its investigation and presented the findings to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office for a charging decision.
On Friday, July 23, 2021, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges on James Cox for domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old. Cox was notified of the charges and turned himself into court on Monday, July 26, 2021.
James Cox is a 5-year-veteran of IMPD and is currently assigned to Southwest District. IMPD detectives have been working with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office on this case and will continue their collaboration moving forward. Officer Cox is currently suspended as a result of unrelated department violations.
Police officers commit domestic violence at higher rates than the general public.
Studies show that among sworn officers, the rate of reporting domestic violence is twice the rate of the general population. And, to top it off, the rate of domestic violence among police officers increases when they are placed under stress. As more officers are subjected to higher levels of trauma, they develop a more elevated tolerance for traumatic events and a decreased ability to identify traumatic events. And this escalation in exposure to trauma further increases the likelihood of subsequent incidents of trauma.
It is therefore important to engage officers and to stress the importance of domestic violence and PTSD treatment for police officers. Additionally, officers who may have overcome their trauma are at risk for developing a range of psychological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which are strongly associated with violence against women.
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