The Dallas County Intimate Partner Violence Fatality Review Team (IPVFRT) was established on June 1, 2010 by a unanimous resolution from the Commissioners Court of Dallas County. The team operates in accordance with Chapter 672 of the Texas Health and Safety Code to conduct a system-wide review of adult intimate partner violence (IPV) fatalities in Dallas County. The IPVFRT conducts confidential, system-wide reviews of adjudicated (resolved) cases resulting from IPV homicides and murder-suicides of adults over the age of 17, with the purpose of improving prevention and intervention services that will lead to a decrease in the incidence of IPV deaths in Dallas County.

Each review focuses on the flow of each case through agencies within the system to identify areas for improvement and strengthen interagency response. The team consists of designated individuals and organizations who conduct reviews based upon the facts and circumstances of each case. The parties are vested with the authority to promote and protect public health and safety and to provide services that improve the well-being of Dallas County and its inhabitants. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, the IPVFRT seeks to provide accountability without assigning blame; it serves to promote cooperation, communication, and coordination among agencies involved in responding to these deaths.

OBJECTIVES

• To conduct formal, confidential, and systematic evaluation and analyses of adjudicated cases of IPV homicides occurring in Dallas County;
• To evaluate policies, protocol, and practices to identify gaps in services within agencies and the community;
• To build a database for analysis of aggregate population of deceased persons and perpetrators;
• To disseminate information on prevention strategies through periodic quantitative and qualitative reports of aggregate data;
• To promote cooperation, communication, and coordination among agencies involved in responding to IPV-related deaths;
• To develop an understanding of the causes and incidence of IPV-related deaths in Dallas County; and
• To advise the legislature, appropriate state agencies, and local law enforcement agencies on changes to law, policy, or practice that will reduce the number of IPV fatalities.