Domestic Violence & Police Response in Vermont
What Vermont survivors may expect when reporting domestic abuse.
What Happens When Police Get Involved in Relationship Harm
When Police Arrive After a Relationship Harm Call
Police responses vary by province or territory and by the situation, but these steps are common across Canada in many relationship harm calls:
- Safety check: Officers usually first check if anyone needs urgent medical help or needs to leave the immediate area for safety.
- Separate conversations: Police may speak to each person separately to understand what happened and to reduce tension.
- Basic questions: They may ask about any threats, physical harm, past incidents, weapons in the home, children present, and whether anyone is afraid to stay.
- Visible evidence: Officers may note injuries, damage to property, or other signs of what happened, and may take photos.
- Witnesses: They might speak with neighbours, family, or anyone else who saw or heard the incident, if safe to do so.
- Risk assessment: In some areas, officers use risk tools to decide next steps and whether added safety measures are needed.
Arrest vs. Citation (or “Promise to Appear”)
After speaking with those involved, police decide how to proceed. This decision depends on the law, local policy, the seriousness of what is alleged, and safety risk.
When Police May Arrest Someone
An arrest means a person is taken into custody and may be held until they can see a justice or be released with conditions. Police may arrest when, for example:
- They believe there are reasonable grounds that a criminal offence has occurred.
- There are concerns about safety if the person is not held or given strict conditions.
- There has been a breach of a previous order (like a no-contact or bail condition).
- There is a risk the person may not come to court if only given a citation.
If someone is arrested, possible next steps can include:
- Being held for a bail hearing.
- Being released from the station with conditions and a court date.
- Being taken before a justice (in person or by video) to set conditions.
When Police Might Issue a Citation or “Promise to Appear”
A citation, appearance notice, or “promise to appear” is a document telling the person when and where to attend court, sometimes with added conditions. It is usually used when:
- The person does not need to be held in custody for safety reasons, based on the officer’s assessment.
- The offence and circumstances allow for release under Canadian law and local policy.
- The officer believes the person will come to court.
Key differences:
- Arrest: Immediate custody; conditions may come from a justice or from police at release.
- Citation/promise to appear: Person is not taken (or kept) into custody at that time but must attend court and may be given conditions.
No-Contact Orders and Related Conditions
No-contact rules can come from different legal processes in Canada. They all aim to limit or prevent contact, but they are not all the same and may use different names depending on the province or territory.
Criminal No-Contact Conditions
No-contact conditions often appear in criminal orders, including:
- Release conditions or bail orders: After an arrest, a person’s release may include no-contact with specific people and no-go zones (for example, a home, workplace, or school).
- Probation orders: After a conviction, probation may include no-contact terms and limits on where the person may go.
- Undertakings: A person released directly by police may sign an undertaking that includes no-contact rules.
These conditions usually mean:
- No direct contact (in person, phone calls, video calls).
- No indirect contact (through friends, family, or social media).
- No approaching specified places within a certain distance, where stated.
Civil or Family-Based Protection Orders
Many provinces and territories have civil or family protection orders (sometimes called restraining orders, emergency protection orders, or similar). These are separate from criminal charges and can:
- Restrict contact and communication.
- Set rules about who can be in the home.
- Set distance or location limits.
These orders may be requested through family or civil court processes rather than through police. How they work, how long they last, and what they are called depends on your province or territory.
How No-Contact Orders Interact with a Restraining or Family Order (RFA)
Some people have more than one type of order at the same time, for example both:
- A criminal no-contact condition (from an undertaking, bail, or probation), and
- A civil or family-based order (often informally called an RFA, restraining order, or protection order).
Important points about how these can interact:
- Multiple layers: If two orders both limit contact, the stricter conditions usually shape what is safest to follow in practice.
- Different systems: Criminal no-contact conditions are part of the criminal process, while RFAs or family protection orders come from civil or family courts. Breaches may be handled differently.
- Changing one does not always change the other: If a family court changes an RFA, that does not automatically change criminal no-contact conditions, and the other way around.
- Contradicting terms: If two orders seem to conflict (for example, one allows contact about children and the other says no contact at all), this can create confusion and risk.
Practical Safety Considerations Around No-Contact and RFAs
When more than one order or condition exists, some people choose to:
- Keep written copies of all current orders and conditions, if safe.
- Note expiry dates and any upcoming review or court dates.
- Record any incidents of unwanted contact or breaches in a safe way, if they choose to report.
- Clarify with service providers (like shelters or community organizations) what the orders allow around shared children, pickups, or communication through third parties.
Community-based organizations and victim services (where available) may help explain how various orders and conditions work together in your province or territory. Additional support options across Canada can be found through resources listed at DV.Support.