The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) is excited to announce the release of the spring 2018 edition of the BJA Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Provider Directory. This easy-to-use, downloadable guide enables BJA staff, BJA TTA providers, and the criminal justice field to access key information about BJA TTA providers with a wealth of criminal justice knowledge and experience. The directory includes a description, contact information, criminal justice area of expertise, and BJA-funded projects for every current BJA TTA grantee.
Using this resource, criminal justice-related entities – such as police departments, corrections officials, and mental health providers – can quickly identify BJA TTA providers with particular expertise in a criminal justice topic or type of service. We encourage you to use this resource as you think about your agency’s needs and browse the range of nationwide organizations available to collaborate with you to build a safer, stronger community.
Access the BJA TTA Provider Directory.
Would you like to request assistance from BJA NTTAC? Find more information on requesting TTA.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and designated the week in which that day falls as National Police Week. This week honors the U.S. law enforcement community and recognizes law enforcement and first responder personnel who have fallen in the line of duty. National Police Week’s primary organizers are the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), the Fraternal Order of Police/Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary (FOP/FOPA), and Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.).
From May 13 – 19, 2018, these organizers and their partners will hold several commemorative events in the Washington, D.C. area, including:
- The National Police Week 5K on May 12, hosted by the Officer Down Memorial Page;
- The 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil on May 13, sponsored by NLEOMF;
- The National Police Survivors Conference on May 14 and May 16, sponsored by C.O.P.S.; and
- The 37th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service on May 15, sponsored by the Grand Lodge FOP/FOPA.
View more details on the above events, as well as the full schedule of events.
Browse resources from the Office of Justice Programs that support the law enforcement community and promote officer safety and wellness.
Join the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to learn about a fiscal year (FY) 2018 funding opportunity during the “FY 2018 Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction Program: Site-Based Solicitation Webinar” on Wednesday, April 4 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET. During this webinar, participants will learn about BJA’s Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction (CBCR) Program, formerly known as the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program, including the current model, training and technical assistance program, and key changes for the FY 2018 solicitation.
Part of BJA’s Innovations Suite of Programs, CBCR aims to reduce crime, increase trust, and improve community safety by targeting neighborhoods with violent and serious crime hot spots through data-driven, cross-sector strategies. The FY 2018 CBCR Program will enhance the capacity of local and tribal communities to address violent crime issues through place-based, community-oriented approaches that are linked with broader neighborhood development goals. Applications for this funding opportunity are due by April 30, 2018 by 11:59 p.m. ET. Access the complete funding details to learn more about eligibility, application requirements, and program-specific information.
View this webinar on the TTA Catalog.
Join the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP) team for the webinar “Saving a Life Twice: The Naloxone Plus Solution to Reducing Overdoses and Connecting to Treatment” on Wednesday, March 21 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET. Participants will learn how the Naloxone Plus framework helps “save a life twice” by first reviving an individual who has overdosed and then connecting them to treatment.
The presenters, Jac A. Chalier, National Director for Justice Initiatives with the Center for Health and Justice at Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, and Lieutenant Tom Fallon, Investigative Commander of the Hamilton County Heroin Task Force with the Amberley Village, Ohio Police Department, will discuss:
- The newly emerging field of pre-arrest diversion and its role as part of the solution to the nation’s opioid epidemic;
- The definition of Naloxone Plus and elements of the framework; and
- The need to connect overdose survivors to treatment.
The Naloxone Plus strategy and webinar are intended for all projects, sites, and jurisdictions responding to overdoses at the intersection of the public health and safety systems. The Naloxone Plus solution can be adapted by a variety of public health and safety groups, including fire and emergency medical services and hospitals.
Learn more and register for the COAP webinar.
View this webinar on the TTA Catalog.
Teen dating violence, also known as adolescent relationship abuse, is a serious, widespread issue that has both short- and long-term consequences. Teen dating violence may occur in-person or electronically and consists of physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, as well as stalking. According to a study funded by the National Institute of Justice, 69 percent of youths aged 12 to 18 who were in a relationship or had been in one in the past year reported that they had been victimized, while 63 percent reported that they had perpetrated violence.
For more information and to learn about strategies for decreasing the prevalence of teen dating violence, check out the following resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Understanding Teen Dating Violence” fact sheet.
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service’s list of federal and federally supported resources, including information on sexual violence from the Office on Violence Against Women and resources for child welfare professionals from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- National Resource Center on Domestic Violence’s Online Special Collection: Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence, which emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of and response to teen violence and includes resources for youth, parents, educators, health care professionals, and more.
In November, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Diagnostic Center published the blog post “The Impact of Body-Worn Cameras: Perceptions and Reality,” which reviews common conceptions and misconceptions about body-worn cameras (BWCs) and discusses relevant research-based evidence. The blog post was authored by subject matter experts Michael White, Ph.D., a professor and the director of the Ph.D. program for Arizona State University’s School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, and James “Chip” Coldren, Jr., Ph.D., the managing director for justice programs at CNA’s Institute for Public Research.
Using evidence from research studies and real-life scenarios, Dr. White and Dr. Coldren reviewed the following ideas, which were proved to be true or false, about the impact of BWCs among police officers and the community:
- Police officers do not like BWCs.
- Residents approve police adoption of BWCs.
- BWCs can lead to reductions in police use of force and resident complaints.
- BWCs generate valuable evidence.
- BWCs will always capture what happens during a police-resident encounter.
To learn more, read the full OJP Diagnostic Center blog post.
TechBeat, the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center System’s monthly interactive newsmagazine, offers updates on technology and research related to public safety. In November, TechBeat featured the Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment (EDGE), a free, virtual training tool that enables first responders across disciplines and jurisdictions to train for critical incidents through game-based software.
Launched in summer 2017, the EDGE tool was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. This web-based tool addresses a capability gap identified by first responders who emphasized a need for virtual training that incorporates the roles of dispatch, fire, and law enforcement personnel. Using discipline-based avatars, first responders can use EDGE to train for critical incidents, such as active shooter situations, and enhance their critical incident plans and policies.
To learn more, access the TechBeat article, “Virtual Training Tool Allows First Responders to Train Across Jurisdictions and Disciplines.”
Contributed by the National Public Safety Partnership Team, U.S. Department of Justice.
Background
Police Department
80 sworn officers
22 civilian employees
Investigation Unit
1 lieutenant
1 sergeant
5 detectives
In 2015, the West Memphis, Arkansas Police Department (WMPD) began working with what is now known as the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) to develop a violence reduction strategy. PSP provides a framework for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to enhance its support of state, tribal, and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors in the investigation, prosecution, and deterrence of violent crime, especially crime related to gun violence, gangs, and drug trafficking. PSP directly engages with cities to prioritize DOJ resources based upon local violence reduction strategic plans. Like many other law enforcement agencies, WMPD faced challenges with victim and witness cooperation, a key element of the investigative process, and sought to improve its investigative capacity. Through the PSP program, WMPD requested assistance from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) to assess its investigations unit and ensure that the unit operated in line with national best practices.
Assessment
Through BJA NTTAC, Mr. Brian Russell, a subject matter expert (SME) with the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR), reviewed the unit’s policies and procedures and worked with WMPD command staff to identify its specific needs. The commander of the investigations unit, Captain Joe Baker, and Mr. Russell determined that the unit’s policies and procedures were solidly based on best practices and that the personnel assigned to the unit were committed to WMPD and their community; however, procedural obstacles hindered prosecution efforts, and investigators assigned to the unit had fewer than three years of service on average with WMPD. As a result of the assessment, Mr. Russell recommended two training focal points to support WMPD’s particular goals:
- Provide baseline training to first responders to major crime scenes.
- Establish a common training foundation for the investigations unit.
Training
Preliminary Investigation
Workshop
- Evaluating Major Crime Scenes
- Understanding the Roles of Patrol Officers and Patrol Sergeants
- Containing Major Crime Scenes
- Protecting Evidence
- Securing Victims, Witnesses, and Suspects
Based on assessment results and in collaboration with Captain Baker, Mr. Russell and a team of SMEs customized the curricula for a Major Crime Scene Preliminary Investigation Workshop and an Investigation Management Workshop. The SME team included experienced practitioners and experts in investigations, prosecution, forensics, and investigation management.
The Major Crime Scene Preliminary Investigation Workshop was developed to improve the level of knowledge, communication, and collaboration involved in responding to and managing major crime scenes. The course addresses the concerns of law enforcement personnel at multiple levels and is designed to reach frontline officers who serve as the critical preliminary investigators at major crime scenes. The workshop focuses on national best practices, techniques, responsibilities, and principles for managing crime scenes, as well as tactics and strategies applied during the initial phases of an investigation. A key focus of the effort at WMPD was reinforcing and sustaining the crime scene response training across the agency. To meet this objective, the training was presented in a train-the-trainer format.
Management Workshop
- Organizational Characteristics
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Crime Scene Documentation
- Crime Scene Investigation Evidence Handling
- Witness Pitfalls and Precautions
- Community Engagement
- Victim/Witness Coordination
- Investigative Function/Intelligence Enhancement
- Case Reviews
- Interviews and Interrogations
- Courtroom Preparation
- Constitutional Legal Issues and Concerns
The Investigation Management Workshop was designed to enhance the quality of investigation functions and increase clearance rates for violent crimes. Participants were introduced to best practices and successful approaches for managing investigations, including innovative strategies to promote effective investigations; methods for preventing and combating witness intimidation; practical experiences from agencies highlighted in the curriculum; and discussions on the latest developments in the investigative function. The workshop featured an in-depth interview-and-interrogations session and emphasized communication between WMPD and the State Prosecutor’s Office. During the workshop, a prosecutor from the State Prosecutor’s Office answered questions and clarified misunderstandings about procedures that had hindered successful prosecutions. The participation of the State Prosecutor’s Office enabled both agencies to outline their respective needs and then resolve any recurring roadblocks to the prosecution process.
Preliminary Outcomes
Under the leadership of Chief Donald Oakes, WMPD implemented several aspects of the assessment and the training, even as the project was unfolding. For example, a major crime scene response checklist was developed and implemented in the field following the assessment and prior to training delivery, improving the quality and consistency of WMPD’s response. WMPD has also initiated a training academy that helps to establish the department’s uniform response to major crime scenes through the train-the-trainer resources. In addition, WMPD had been evaluating how the department could use social media to enhance relationships and information sharing with the community. Accordingly, as part of the Investigation Management Workshop, trainers highlighted how social media could be used to support major crime investigations. The workshops developed for WMPD also emphasized the importance of crime analysis and supported WMPD’s decision to add an analyst position to the investigations unit.
Following the success of the investigation workshops, Captain Baker encourages other agencies to learn more about the training and technical assistance (TTA) opportunities designed to support violent crime investigations that are available through BJA NTTAC: “Explore each option with an open mind. […] I find that there are components in other programs that we can leverage to enhance our initiatives.”
About the Institute for Intergovernmental Research
On behalf of BJA and BJA NTTAC, IIR delivers TTA services for law enforcement agencies seeking to improve the quality of their violent crime investigations and increase clearance rates, such as through the practical application of evidence-based practices identified through BJA’s Homicide Process Mapping: Best Practices for Increasing Homicide Clearances project. IIR’s violent crime- and homicide-related TTA services include assessments of investigative functions, peer exchange site visits, training for first responders to major crime scenes, and training on investigations management. For additional information, please contact Ms. Gina Hartsfield at ghartsfield@iir.com.
To submit the work of your organization or jurisdiction for consideration to be featured in a future BJA NTTAC TTA Spotlight, please email BJANTTAC@ojp.usdoj.gov.
If your agency or community is interested in major crime scenes and investigation management or violent crime reduction, or would like to apply for technical assistance, please contact BJA NTTAC at BJANTTAC@ojp.usdoj.gov to discuss your unique criminal justice needs.
Join the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Diagnostic Center for the webinar “Social Media as a #LawEnforcement Tool: The Fundamentals” on Tuesday, July 18 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET. During this webinar, participants will learn core concepts for establishing a positive social media presence in law enforcement departments. Additionally, this webinar will discuss experience-based insights and tangible examples from the OJP Diagnostic Center’s work with the Minneapolis, Minnesota Police Department in developing a social media strategy to expand community engagement.
This webinar is being presented in collaboration with Lauri Stevens, Founder of LAwS Communications, and Laura McElroy, Principal Consultant at McElroy Media Group. If you plan to participate, please RSVP by Friday, July 14.
To view this webinar on the TTA Catalog, please click here.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2017 Improving Access to Overdose Treatment (Short Title: OD Treatment Access). SAMHSA will award OD Treatment Access funds to a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Opioid Treatment Program, or practitioner who has a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine to expand access to Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs or devices for emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose. The grantee will partner with other prescribers at the community level to develop best practices for prescribing and co-prescribing FDA-approved overdose reversal drugs. After developing best practices, the grantee will train other prescribers in key community sectors as well as individuals who support persons at high risk for overdose.
In 2013, SAMHSA released the Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit to help reduce the number of opioid-related overdose deaths and adverse events. The OD Treatment Access grant program will utilize this toolkit and other resources to help the grantee train and provide resources for health care providers and pharmacists on the prescribing of drugs or devices approved or cleared under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose
The OD Treatment Access grant program will also ensure the grantee establishes protocols to connect patients who have experienced a drug overdose with appropriate treatment, including medication-assisted treatment and appropriate counseling and behavioral therapies.
Applications are due Monday, July 31, 2017. Learn more about the application process.