Hypothetical: a woman calls 911 to report a domestic fight between her and her husband. She is told it will be an hour before an officer can be there. The officer arrives 1 hour later to find she has been beaten and raped. Is the police dept liable?
I read "To protect and to serve" in a way that makes this situation sound negligent and unacceptable on the part of the police if someone is reporting imminent harm and they can't provide a response for over an hour.
The police can't be sued for this kind of negligence. The Supreme Court decreed in 2005 that they do not have a constitutional obligation to protect individuals. www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/28scotus.html?_r=0
And, as it pertains to this particular poll, the Supreme Court case specifically dealt with a domestic violence lawsuit where the police failed to respond in time.
I don't think that would ever happen. The police respond to domestic violence calls very quickly because it can be a life-threatening situation. If it did, the abuser is liable but the police department is extremely negligent.
Not LAPD. My experience is it's 1/2 hr or more. Only time they arrived under 20 was when this guy wldnt leave my property &tried 2 open my bathroom window.The possibly life threatening DV incidents that happened here I cldnt call &no one else cared.
I'm sorry you went through that. I guess it varies by area. They responded to mine within minutes in Washington. Luckily I don't have to call anymore. I hope you don't either. You're right, no one else ever gets involved.
Yeah, it was a bad choice to let that guy in my house. It was a real wake up call letting me know how things work in the big city. The whole thing just seems so surreal. Thank you!!
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