The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) released a toolkit designed to help law enforcement officers lead the public health campaign against COVID-19. The COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit for the Law Enforcement Community consists of fact sheets about COVID-19 and vaccinations, based on scientific data and research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These resources can be customized to reach out to sworn officers who may be reluctant to take this life-saving measure. The toolkit was developed as part of BJA’s VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Initiative, which offers no-cost safety and wellness training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies, with a focus on resiliency.
On September 16, 2021, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education, and the White House Domestic Policy Council, hosted the fourth webinar in the community violence intervention (CVI) webinar series. A recording of this webinar is now available. During this webinar, leading experts in program evaluation discuss partnerships and evaluation, including process and outcome evaluations, and ways to partner with community members in order to understand whether CVIs are working to reduce violence. In particular, the webinar covers the benefits of community-based participatory research, a community-centered strategy that involves partnering with a researcher in an iterative process of program development and improvement. The webinar also includes information about a wide range of resources for practitioners interested in conducting community-centered evaluations.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) continues to focus its resources on the critical question regarding how police respond to those experiencing a mental health crisis. In pursuit of supporting law enforcement in prioritizing their mental health and well-being, BJA is proud to be able to provide no-cost technical assistance to departments through the Law Enforcement-Mental Health Collaboration Support Center. The Law Enforcement-Mental Health Collaboration Support Center offers free training, resources, and support to communities wanting to improve their law enforcement and community responses to people with behavioral health conditions or intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) recently collaborated to launch the Mass Violence Advisory Initiative (MVAI). The initiative aims to equip law enforcement leaders and their communities with expert assistance, guidance, and rapid response resources in the event of targeted acts of mass violence. Through this effort, BJA and IACP help connect local law enforcement leaders with peer-to-peer assistance teams that comprise law enforcement professionals with experience navigating acts of mass violence. The services available through MVAI will be provided at no cost to an agency in need.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Northern and Middle State Rural Law Enforcement Assistance Program is currently accepting funding applications for small, rural, and tribal law enforcement agencies who seek technical and training assistance. This initiative is designed to provide resources to small, rural, and tribal law enforcement agencies located in the northern and middle states of the United States (see website for a full list). The resources from this program aim to support efforts in addressing increases in crime, such as human trafficking, sexual assault, extortion, gang activity, murder, drug trafficking, and other violent crimes, experienced in the region.
Applications will be accepted until funding is no longer available. If you have any questions about this funding opportunity, please reach out to representatives of the National White Collar Crime Center at normid@nw3c.org.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the National Gang Center (NCG) have published a guide for law enforcement officials to developing a framework to address youth gang problems in their communities. A Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model aims to provide law enforcement leaders with an overview of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model, which is an evidence-based framework for the coordination of multiple data-driven, anti-gang and violence-reduction strategies to address youth gang problems. The framework centers around the following five core strategies: community mobilization, opportunities provision, social intervention, suppression, and organizational change and development. This guide provides law enforcement agencies various resources to use and steps to take in order to get started in developing solutions in their communities.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is continuing to prioritize the safety and wellness of law enforcement officers, their families, and professional support staff. BJA has compiled, updated, and expanded various resources associated with enhancing officer safety. In a recent blog post, titled Ensuring Officer Health and Wellness During Difficult Times, BJA outlines the various resources to help bolster efforts to ensure officers are physically and mentally prepared to carry out their daily work. Most notably, BJA’s flagship VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Program (VALOR Program) offers various grant-funded training, technical assistance, and resources that focus on comprehensive officer safety and wellness.
The Council of State Governments recently published a brief titled Addressing Misconceptions about Mental Health and Violence. This brief discusses the misconceptions that can lead to a perception that people with mental illness are more likely to be violent. Through understanding and dispelling these misconceptions, criminal justice professionals can further their goals of protecting public safety. This brief addresses these misconceptions, provides information on known risk factors for violence, and offers ways that criminal justice professional can address these risk factors.
On August 18, 2021, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education, and the White House Domestic Policy Council, hosted the third webinar in the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Webinar Series. During the webinar, titled “CVI Webinar Series Part 3: CVI in Practice,” leading CVI experts shared their on-the-ground experiences on how to implement CVI strategies within communities. They shared insights on what communities should consider, in terms of understanding who the “credible messengers” are in their communities, effectively engaging community stakeholders, and adopting best CVI practices and strategies in order to effectively implement and sustain CVI efforts.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services, has published a guide on Evidence-Based Crime Reduction Strategies for Small, Rural, and Tribal Agencies. This guide aims to provide information on evidence-based policing practices in small, rural, and tribal agencies to help tackle the unique challenges these law enforcement agencies face. The guide leverages case studies and additional information from conversations with law enforcement leaders to offer insight into proven crime reduction strategies for small, rural, and tribal agencies.