Michele Matsikoudis, Assemblywoman of New Jersey, said that her proposed legislation would mandate officers to use risk assessments for every domestic violence call to enhance victim protection and save lives. This statement was made on the social media platform X.
“Every domestic violence call deserves a serious and informed response,” said Matsikoudis. “I recently introduced A5740 to ensure that for every domestic violence call, officers conduct a formal risk assessment that could help save lives.”
New Jersey, along with several other states, has adopted formal risk-assessment tools such as the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) to guide police responses to domestic violence. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ), these policies are now central to structured intervention at the initial call for help, aiming to reduce repeat offenses and improve victim safety.
WHYY reports that New Jersey experiences over 20,000 domestic violence incidents annually, with a repeat offense rate near 30%. Recent legislation requiring danger assessments has resulted in a 12% increase in referrals to victim support services.
According to research funded by Rutgers University and the Department of Justice (DOJ), the adoption of risk assessment tools for domestic violence has increased by 60% nationwide since 2020. Pilot programs have observed up to a 25% reduction in repeat homicides in jurisdictions utilizing these methods.
Matsikoudis, a Republican Assemblywoman from Union County who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2022, vice-chairs the Women and Children Committee. She has sponsored legislation requiring police use of danger assessments in domestic violence cases, according to her legislative profile.
