Intimate Partner Violence Intervention (IPVI) High Point Police Department

Since 2009, the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) and partners in High
Point, NC have been piloting an Intimate Partner Violence Intervention (IPVI), based on the
focused deterrence framework. For years, the city struggled to control its IPV problem. Despite efforts to address the problem, IPV rates remained steady and fully a third of the city’s murders occurred between intimate partners. High Point had been applying focused deterrence for 15 years and effectively addressing individual violent offenders, group violence, overt drug markets, and other serious crimes. They believed that, using the same framework, they could do better to protect the most vulnerable women from being hurt or killed. Beginning in 2009, High Point police and community partners worked with the NNSC Director and others to design a new approach that would take the burden of preventing IPV off victims; intervene early in the repeat victimization process; make it clear to even low-level offenders that IPV would not be tolerated; and take special action to deter and, if necessary, incapacitate the most dangerous offenders. This article sheds light on the IPVI model implemented in High Point, N.C.