An inside look at the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team and the critical first hours after a 911 call

March 18, 2026

SAN MATEO — The 27-year-old woman carried a Ring camera every time she left the house.

It was not for her security. Her fiancé forced her to take it, she said, to monitor where she went and who she spoke to.

“I was being physically abused every one to two days,” she said. “I had no job and I had to be home by 5 p.m. I could not do anything without his permission. His friends followed me everywhere.”

When she went to police, she was afraid to be seen and struggled to answer questions. Then someone unexpected introduced herself.