"Domestic in progress."

Those three simple words cover a multitude of situations, concerns and responses from law enforcement.It was those three words that led to a situation resulting in the death of 23-year-old Pennsylvania trooper Landon Weaver at the end of 2016.It's those three words that result in a great deal of frustration for local police.When asked about how those three words affect their job, many local officers preferred not to answer."It's complicated," says Tamaqua Cpl. Henry Woods."Domestics are fraught with unknowns. We can't make everyone happy and we (officers) end up being the bad guys all too often. When children are involved, we are seen as the guys taking mommy or daddy away," Woods said.Officers follow a set of protocols when answering a call about a domestic, understanding that the situation could turn violent, a high danger risk for everyone involved. That leads to a lot of stress."It's one of the worst types of calls police receive," Woods said. "Those situations are filled with apprehension and frustration for everyone involved."But what's even more stressful, according to the corporal, is the frustration of being called to the same homes, time after time. "We see the same people, way too many times. We calm the situation, offer victims the tools and the steps they need to take to protect themselves, but they don't follow through. Many do nothing to help themselves."There are even people who ask the courts for a protection from abuse order, but want the judge to allow their abuser to continue living with them, as "long as they don't hit me anymore."For those who have never been abused, it seems crazy for someone to stay in an abusive relationship. But there are many reasons people stay, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Those reasons include: fear; love; low self-esteem; embarrassment or shame; disability; financial dependence; and cultural or religious reasons. Abuse is about control and power. When faced with losing that control, abusers could become even more threatening and destructive. Their victims know that trying to leave could result in even more severe injury or death.Catch-22So it becomes a Catch-22 in many cases, with police caught in the middle.Rush Township Chief Joseph Lipsett has dealt with domestic violence cases in his former careers as a Pennsylvania state trooper and as Schuylkill County coroner."It all starts with the initial call," Lipsett said. "Dispatchers need to get as much information as possible so the officer knows what he or she is getting in to. How many people are in the house? Any children? Dogs? Weapons? Even if the abuser isn't armed at the time of the call, an officer needs to know this before he steps foot on the scene. We always have to be thinking ahead."Lipsett also gives credit to the agencies involved after the initial response, including Schuylkill Women In Crisis, which "helps police and victims as the case goes on."He, too, was often frustrated when a "victim asked police not to arrest the abuser, just calm the situation, or refuse to testify once the case made its way to court."West Penn Township Chief of Police Brian Johnson says the uncertainty and dangers associated with domestic calls has changed his approach to such situations."Domestic calls are very stressful, now more than ever. Seeing officers being killed before they even talk to anyone involved in the past few months makes an officer think twice. Whether we've been to a house once or seven times, we treat each call as it own. Complacency is what gets people hurt!"Unlike larger departments, or those in urban areas, township police have some unique handicaps."In a perfect world it would be great to have two officers responding to these types of calls. But, in the township, we cover 59 square miles, over 200 road miles. Our nearest backup may be 15, 20 or even 30 minutes away and that's even if they know how to get to our location. I once waited for a backup unit for almost 40 minutes. By the time they got to me, I had taken care of the issue," Johnson said.As for recent events, the chief said, "I have changed the way I approach the houses anymore. I park away from the house and walk up, look in any windows before I walk up to the door to talk to anyone. While responding to any calls, an officer needs to always be alert, thinking of the what ifs in their minds, always thinking of game plans."All three men agree, domestic abuse situations can be the most frustrating crimes an officer ever encounters."We do what we can," Lipsett said. "But we can't control the courts or the victims."