The 2002 Domestic Violence Protocol for Law Enforcement for Santa Clara County provides guidance to law enforcement officers responding to domestic violence incidents. The Protocol discusses the procedures to be followed by the dispatcher who receives the emergency call, the officers responding to the call, and the officers who conduct the follow-up investigation. These procedures relate to collecting information, interviewing witnesses and victims safely, and documenting the evidence collected. The Protocol was created to ensure and maintain "an effective and sensitive response by the law enforcement community to this serious problem" of domestic violence. The Protocol requires officers to assist victims in obtaining medical care and provide victims with information about and referrals to other services.

The Massachusetts Policy for Law Enforcement Response to Domestic Violence, revised in 2002, contains important guidelines for officers responding to a domestic violence call. The policy emphasizes investigation techniques for assessing a situation, particularly the lethality of the batterer, in order to determine how best to assist the victim. Thorough investigation also helps insure the availability of information that may be relevant in a later court proceeding or to a prosecutor. The policy instructs officers on Massachusetts's law on arrest, under which an arrest is the "preferred response" if the officer has cause to believe that a crime has been committed. Under this policy, officers are also directed to provide victims with necessary referrals to other services and to assist them in obtaining medical treatment and in locating and getting to a safe place.

Home Office Circular No 19/2000, provides guidance for police officers in the United Kingdom. The Circular discusses the nature and extent of domestic violence and the role of police and other agencies within a coordinated response. The Circular requires police forces to adopt policies with regard to domestic violence and discusses the use of bail, report writing, and provision of support to victims.

Other law enforcement policies, protocols and best practices are available through the Institute for Law and Justice.