She reviews domestic violence reports to ensure the action is taken for Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs), charges, compliance checks and refers to other services, provides support to police prosecutors, liaises with victims and perpetrators, and acts as a go-between in court.

Since January, there have been 470 applications for AVOs in the district, 45 in September alone.

"I like that as a police officer I am removed and coming from the outside, I can see who and how to help. Sometimes it is impossible to see from the inside.

"I love our powers within the domestic violence legislation, that we can press charges independently without the need for victims to do so... At the end of the day, we keep people alive and safe."

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She has recently seen a lot of questions about male victims. She says of course there are male victims of domestic violence, but the majority is female.

"I get taken aback by those questions, because I do mainly see women."

If needed, cards are given to men victims for the Men's Referral Services. There are also avenues for men who are violent to seek counselling and help.

"We see a lot of reoffending, and we target it through the Domestic Violence Suspect Target Management Plan (DVSTMP).

"We go through a risk rating of the likelihood of reoffending, and it doesn't just go off how many, but the seriousness as well. Then we monitor them."

Senior constable Lentfer has seen some success stories, but these are also not the norm. One story stays with her.

After a violent man was locked up, a survivor got herself on the road to recovery by getting off drugs and working towards full time custody of her children.

However once her previous partner was released from prison, she was back in the cycle.

"Sometimes I think, what does it take for them [women] to leave? But we can never understand... it's more than just leaving and you can't judge them.

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"Sometimes they have no money, they can't drive, they are completely under someone else's power and control."

What she wants to see

A way to target domestic violence, she says, would be to include a compulsory education course in every single school.

The biggest obstacle for people coming forward, especially in Griffith, is the shame.

But her message: "Just tell someone."

"It doesn't have to be any service, but a friend. Share the burden. If you have suspicions about a friend going through it, ask them how they really are."

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