Michigan’s Operation Cycle Break Takes On Domestic Violence With New Trial Program

In Macomb County, Michigan, police and community groups started a fresh approach to stop family violence. Operation Cycle Break puts officers, courts, and support services on the same team.

Starting May 2025, police now check on people who report abuse within days—not weeks or months. They talk with those in jail about getting help to change their actions. The Warren Police team works with Wayne State experts and local shelters to spot warning signs early.

"Hopefully this model will be replicated all across the nation," said Dr. Sharman Davenport, president and CEO of Turning Point Macomb, according to ClickOnDetroit.

Each year in Warren, police rush to 9,000 calls about fights at home. Only traffic stops happen more often. The stakes are high—family fights were linked with more than 68% of the city's deaths in recent years.

Sgt. Jim Twardesky of the Warren Police Department spots a big problem in how things work now. "As you can imagine, if there's a six-month gap between the police department talking to you and the court talking to you, that's a lot of time for simple things like moving, changing phone numbers or even more complex things like the offender threatening you, harassing you and trying to persuade you not to come to court," Twardesky said, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.

Recent events pushed the need for change. Just last week, someone died from abuse at home after asking police for help months ago. Officers also faced two shootouts while answering calls about family fights.

The new system helps police figure out which cases might turn deadly. When signs point to serious danger, teams step in fast to protect those at risk.

"If you're concerned about crime and violence and disorder in your community, then you should be concerned about domestic violence, because it's a driving force in a lot of what occurs," Twardesky said, as per ClickOnDetroit.

Wayne State's team will study how well these changes work. They'll track results through fall 2025, looking for ways to save more lives.

Help is just a call or text away. Michigan's free hotline runs day and night—call 866-864-2338 or text 877-861-0222. Your message stays private.