Domestic Violence and Effectiveness of Law Enforcement Agencies

Crimes of domestic violence are distinct from other crimes against women. They show a steady rise, despite the Domestic Violence Act coming into force in 2005. This paper studies the efficacy of the law enforcement agencies' response in dealing with the rising trend through an econometric panel data study and posits new explanatory societal variables and reports significant correlations between the explanatory variables and agency responses to reported domestic violence crimes. It questions the functioning of police force and calls for a critical analysis of the policy of employing women in police force. It also brings out key insights for a comprehensive policy review and interventions to improve the effectiveness of agencies.