A Field Study on the Police Use of the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA)

The Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) is a tool that was specifically designed for law enforcement officers to assess individuals who have been arrested for intimate partner violence (IPV) and to help police prioritize cases where the individual is a high risk to reoffend. The profile of individuals who are under investigation for IPV at a local police service showed these cases are at a higher level of risk than previously thought, which suggests a need for more sufficient resources to monitor and support the suspect and the victim(s). When completed by the investigating police officer, the ODARA is predictive of violent and intimate partner violent reoffending. Hence, police are highly capable of evaluating the risk of IPV suspects using the ODARA.