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Minnesota Domestic Violence Study
A study of police response to domestic violence calls conducted by Lawrence W. Sherman in the early 1980s. The study consisted of a series of experiments in which police responding to misdemeanor domestic violence calls in Minneapolis (a) asked one party to leave the premises; (b) acted as mediators, counseling both parties; or (c) made an arrest. Arrests were found to be more effective than either of the other responses in reducing the frequency of reoffending. Findings from the study led to the widespread adoption of mandatory arrest policies for domestic violence incidents, though the findings have not been replicated in all studies.