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Resident warns of 'DARVO' dynamics and urges Hays to adopt county enforcement MOU
Summary
Resident Jared Pollops told the council that a behavior pattern he labeled 'DARVO' (deny, attack, reverse victim and offender) often skews neighbor disputes; he urged the council to adopt the proposed memorandum of understanding with Hays County for standardized code enforcement.
Jared Pollops, a Hays resident at 530 Tanglewood Trail, told the City of Hays council the behavioral pattern he calls “DARVO” — deny, attack and reverse victim and offender — frequently undermines fair resolution of neighborhood complaints and argued the city should adopt the proposed MOU with Hays County to create a more evidence-based enforcement process.
“I just wanted to bring sort of an educational information to the group… the name for that is an acronym. It's DARBO. That it's d a r d o… they stand for deny, attack, and reverse victim, and offender,” Pollops said. He described DARVO as a tactic that can make bystanders skeptical and reward the party that argues most forcefully rather than the party with documentation. Pollops linked that dynamic to the city’s code-enforcement process and recommended relying on written documentation, inspections and a single enforcement authority.
City staff later noted the council is still working with county partners on a draft MOU and must review legal and fiscal terms when a revised draft is available. Council members and staff agreed to continue pursuing the interlocal discussion and to route drafts to the city attorney for review before final action.
