Expanding the capacity of the Domestic and Family Violence Unit

On 28 June 2024, the creation of a new DFVIU was announced. This is an expansion and restructure of ACT Policing’s existing Family Violence Unit (FVU) which was primarily focused on coordination.

The DFVIU Investigations Teams focus on holding high-risk perpetrators to account and employs a holistic investigations model which recognises victim-survivors experience domestic and family violence as a continuum rather than as stand-alone incidents. The teams typically manage more than 90 high-risk cases at any given time.

The Investigation Teams work closely with the Family Violence Safety Action Program to support whole-of-sector approaches to supporting victim-survivor safety, along with partner agencies the Domestic Violence Crisis Service, Children Youth and Families (formerly CYPS) and Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.

DFVIU’s Coordination Team leads ACT Policing’s domestic and family violence training, policy and quality assurance, ensuring a consistent and best practice response to domestic and family violence incidents.