Because of the increased lethality of abusers who strangle, the Strangulation Response Committee was created to standardize a community-wide response to strangulation incidents in Nashville and Davidson County. The goal of the protocol is to ensure that every system within Nashville recognizes the inherent danger of strangulation-related incidents and provides a quick, compassionate, and thorough response to victims of strangulation. The committee meets quarterly to discuss individual program and agency updates, statistics and trends in Nashville, as well as training and collaboration opportunities to enhance Nashville’s response to strangulation victims and offenders.

 

In June 2019, the Office of Family Safety began its Strangulation Flagging Program to screen all criminal DV cases, civil OP cases, LAPs, and defendant case histories for any evidence of strangulation perpetrated by the defendant or respondent.

 

• Metro Nashville Office of Family Safety
• Metro Nashville Police Department, Domestic Violence Division
• Metro Nashville District Attorney’s Office
• Metro Nashville Department of Emergency Communications
• Nashville Fire Department
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Nashville General Hospital
• TriStar Skyline Medical Center
• TriStar Centennial Medical Center
• Sexual Assault Center