Psychopath victims and police departments may not see eye to eye on the victim’s report. When psychopath victims are seeking help with the situations and circumstances that have arrived since their psychopathic entanglement, due to being placed in compromising positions that could be potentially dangerous, the victim is likely to dial 911.
At first, it makes perfect sense to reach out to the police department because they’ve taken an oath to protect and serve. And the victims have come to a place where they know they need help. Victims know they do not have the resources that the police department has, and there’s nothing that would make them feel safer than seeing their predatory psychopath secured behind bars.
Police departments vary in the available resources, the expertise of staff on hand, and must allocate their resources accordingly. If you are in a metro area with understaffed and underfunded police departments, they may only be able to respond to traffic accidents, gunshots, and stabbing calls.
Even if the department is unable to respond, the recorded 911 call can be valuable as evidence in the future, and hopefully, the date and time of the 911 call were also documented in the victim’s journal, even if there is no response from the police department.
The same goes for filing police reports regarding the psychopath’s potentially criminal activities. The victim should file these reports and receive a copy of the report with a police-department-issued case number, even if department personnel has told the victim that nothing will likely come of it.
If these documented calls and reports are unable to help the presenting victim at this point in time, they may be valuable in the future or may be extremely valuable when another victim makes a call about the same individual in the future.
Since predatory psychopaths victimize so few victims in comparison to other types of criminal activity or domestic abuse, and even fewer of them are overtly life-threatening, it is understandable that police departments are not very well versed in the scope of psychopathic victimization.
The highly skilled psychopath is probably police department friendly. He or she will know some of the officers by name and has befriended them. They often support the local police department, even donating to and volunteering for fundraising campaigns.
Also, note that psychopaths gravitate toward law enforcement-related jobs as well. If the psychopath in question works in law enforcement, another route must be sought for assistance as trying to get help from the police department may be too risky for the victim. Seeking first a psychopath victims advocate might be a better first approach.
There are several ways in which police department employees may be unable to properly assist a psychopath victim. Some of these include:
Lack of Understanding
Police officers may not fully understand the psychological impact of psychopathic abuse, and may underestimate the severity of the victim’s trauma. This can lead to a lack of appropriate support or resources for the victim.
Lack of Training
Police officers may not have received adequate training on how to identify and respond to cases of psychopathic abuse. This can fail to recognize the signs of abuse or to respond appropriately to victims’ needs.
Institutional Barriers
Police departments may have institutional barriers that prevent officers from providing the necessary support to psychopathic abuse victims. These barriers can include a lack of resources or policies that do not prioritize responding to cases of psychopathic abuse.
Limited Staff and Funding
Today’s police departments are likely understaffed and underfunded and may not have the resources to help psychopath victims. It’s not like, back in the eighties (1980s), when they were better supported and funded and had better support and resources.
To better assist psychopath victims, police department employees may need additional training or skills such as:
Trauma-Informed Training
Police officers need to receive training that focuses on the psychological impact of trauma, particularly in the context of psychopathic abuse. This training should provide officers with an understanding of how trauma affects victims, and how they can respond in a way that is supportive and empathetic.
Risk Assessment
Police officers need to be trained on how to assess the level of risk that a victim of psychopathic abuse may face, and how to respond appropriately. This can include developing safety plans, obtaining restraining orders, or providing referrals to community resources.
Cultural Competency
Police officers need to be trained on how to work effectively with diverse communities, including victims of psychopathic abuse who may come from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds. This training should provide officers with an understanding of cultural norms and values, as well as the impact of trauma within different cultural contexts.
Collaborative Approaches
Police departments should work collaboratively with community organizations and agencies that provide support to victims of psychopathic abuse. This can include partnering with victim advocates, mental health professionals, and other service providers to provide a comprehensive response to victims’ needs.
By implementing these types of training and approaches, police department employees can be better equipped to identify, respond to, and support victims of psychopathic abuse in their communities.