The likelihood that law enforcement personnel will encounter a victim with a disability is extremely high. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), people with disabilities experience violent crimes two times more often than people without disabilities.1 The rate of violence for males with disabilities was 42 per 1,000 in 2011, compared to 22 per 1,000 for males without disabilities, while the rate of violence for females with disabilities was 53 per 1,000 in 2011, compared to 17 per 1,000 for females without disabilities.2 In addition to responding to reports of violent crimes, law enforcement may encounter people with disabilities in neighborhoods and as community members who need assistance; as witnesses to a crime; or as suspects or perpetrators of a crime. Although this article focuses on the effective interactions between law enforcement and people with disabilities, many of the strategies are equally applicable to law enforcement and victims of all interpersonal crimes.
