As I've indicated earlier, I responded to numerous domestic violence cases over the years. I became well-acquainted with many families who were having serious problems due to some form of abuse in the household. In most cases, it was the male head of the household who was the predominant aggressor. Some of these men troubled about the failure in their lives and took their frustrations out against those closest to them. In other cases, there were men who demanded total control and dominance over family members. To be fair, there were occasions when a woman was the predominant aggressor. Some of these women scared me to death, and I'm not easily intimidated. There are some who believe that trained social workers are better equipped to deal with the short-term and long-term family issues rather than police officers. An article appeared last year in the Washington Post relating that crisis counselors as police alternatives have proven less than effective. But most of you have indicated that you believe police officers are better equipped to be the first responders in family violence incidents. But what about after the initial police response? What then? My position based upon years of experience is this...it is essential that police officers remain first responders because of the highly emotional and potentially violent atmosphere often present in these situations. It is important to provide safety before addressing the families' long-term problems. Currently, there is a significant shortage of crisis counselors needed to follow up on family violence incidents. There is also an extreme shortage of senior services case workers needed to address incidents involving the elderly. Based on your reading from Chapter 7, I would like all of you to discuss your ideas for building an ideal program to address family violence cases. For the purpose of this discussion, consider yourselves appointed to a committee tasked with designing a program to respond to and address incidents of family violence and elderly abuse. Discuss what you believe is necessary to address these matters. Be innovative! Since lives are at stake here, costs should not be the primary concern.