An Integrated Response to Intimate Partner Violence Related Strangulation

This webinar examines the problem of Intimate Partner Violence Strangulation and an innovative response policy that includes an integrated response from police and fire personnel in the City of Burleson, Texas. The presentation will review the creation of a Strangulation Ordinance that mandates extensive training for first responders and a city-wide response protocol for strangulation detection and investigation, documentation of strangulation signs and symptoms, medical assistance, and service referrals for strangulation survivors. The webinar will also cover Ordinance implementation and highlight research findings from a NIJ funded evaluation of the project completed by the Institute on Violence Against Women and Human Trafficking at Tarleton State University.

Tara Shelley – Dr. Shelley is a Professor and Director of the Institute on Violence Against Women and Human Trafficking at Tarleton State University, with over 29 years of professional research experience and $1.5 million in external funding. A Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the University Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award, she has published extensively in leading academic journals, co-edited books, and collaborated with over 60 criminal justice agencies.

Kathy Brown – Dr. Brown is a Professional Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Tarleton State University and a Faculty Affiliate at the Institute on Violence Against Women and Human Trafficking, with expertise in crimes against women and children, forensic science, and murder investigations. A Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, she has received multiple awards for her contributions to forensic science, served on national standards boards, and published extensively in journals and books while consulting for Child Abduction Response Teams nationwide.

Chief Billy Cordell – Billy J. Cordell was sworn in as Burleson’s tenth police chief on June 1, 2014. He has served in law enforcement for over forty years, retiring as a Deputy Chief with the Fort Worth Police Department. Chief Cordell holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Tarleton State University, and graduated from the 201st session of the FBI National Academy in 2000. He holds a Master’s Peace Officer Certificate.

Chief Casey Davis – Casey Davis has over two decades of dedicated service in Fire and Emergency Medical Services, having held every position from Firefighter to Fire Chief, Burleson, TX. Casey is a Master Firefighter and a Paramedic. He significantly advanced Burleson’s emergency response by introducing Advanced Life Support (ALS) EMS services and transitioning the department to a Fire-Based EMS Transport Ambulance Service. He is a member of the Texas Fire Chief’s Association.