Actions of the Police may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, however some department's actions may take into consideration the following:

1. Is there a violation of law?

2. How timely is the complaint?  Is the complaint hours old, a week old, or a month old.

3. Is there probable cause to be able to prove the complaint?  Some considerations are listed, however not all items are necessarily mandated to establish "probable cause":

	Would the complainant sign a "Domestic Violence Complaint Form" ?
	What physical evidence is there?
	What statements are given by the victim, witnesses, and the offender?

Depending on circumstances, and department policy, police action may vary from giving the parties involved an opportunity to calm down, to giving the victim an opportunity to exit to a more safe environment, to the arrest of the offender.   Police reports are normally completed for domestic violence violations at some point during this process.   Even if an arrest is not made, the complainant would still have the option to review the case with the law director regarding the aspects of a potential prosecution.   Domestic Violence Arrests  are one of the leading categories of arrests by Van Wert County Law Enforcement.

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