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Comparing 911 and Emergency Hotline Calls for Domestic Violence in Seven Cities: What Happened When People Started Staying Home Due to COVID-19?

January 2021 CrimRxiv

Tara N. Richards , Justin Nix , Scott M. Mourtgos , Ian T. Adams

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Abstract

Research Summary: We examine changes in help-seeking for domestic violence (DV) in seven U.S. cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Bayesian structural time-series modeling with daily data to construct a synthetic counterfactual, we test whether calls to police and/or emergency hotlines varied in 2020 as people stayed home due to COVID-19. Across this sample, we estimate there were approximately 1,030 more calls to police and 1,671 more calls to emergency hotlines than would have occurred absent the pandemic. Policy Implications: Inter-agency data sharing and analysis holds great promise for better understanding localized trends in DV in real time. Research-practitioner partnerships can help DV coordinated community response teams (CCRTs) develop accessible and sustainable dashboards to visualize data and advance community transparency. As calls for drastic changes in policing are realized, prioritization of finite resources will become critical. Data-driven decision-making by CCRTs provides an opportunity to work within resource constraints without compromising the safety of DV victims.

Summary

Researchers analyzed emergency calls in seven U.S. cities and found that domestic violence calls to both police (about 1,030 more calls) and emergency hotlines (about 1,671 more calls) increased significantly during 2020 when COVID-19 stay-at-home orders kept people confined to their homes. This finding matters for police departments because it shows how external crises can suddenly change the types and volume of calls officers must respond to, requiring departments to adjust their resources and response strategies. The study also demonstrates how police can work more effectively with domestic violence organizations by sharing data to better track and respond to these crimes in their communities.

(AI-generated summary, v1, January 2026)

Citation Information

Citations: 6 (as of June 2026)

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APA

Tara N. Richards, Justin Nix, Scott M. Mourtgos, Ian T. Adams (2021). Comparing 911 and Emergency Hotline Calls for Domestic Violence in Seven Cities: What Happened When People Started Staying Home Due to COVID-19?. CrimRxiv. https://doi.org/10.21428/cb6ab371.cdec20ab

BibTeX 
@article{richards2021,
  title   = {Comparing 911 and Emergency Hotline Calls for Domestic Violence in Seven Cities: What Happened When People Started Staying Home Due to COVID-19?},
  author  = {Tara N. Richards and Justin Nix and Scott M. Mourtgos and Ian T. Adams},
  journal = {CrimRxiv},
  year    = {2021},
  doi     = {10.21428/cb6ab371.cdec20ab},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.21428/cb6ab371.cdec20ab}
}

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