BJA NTTAC Learning & Development
It was October 2023, and Assistant United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina, Stacey Haynes, found herself not only managing her cases but also filling the office’s Law Enforcement Coordinator (LEC) position. The office’s longstanding LEC retired after 30 years of service and their replacement rotated out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite her many responsibilities, Haynes was committed to fulfilling state and local law enforcement executives’ request to restart the District’s law enforcement training series. One of the hallmark events of the training series, which was placed on hold at the onset of COVID-19, was a December executive forum that gathered sheriffs, chiefs, and other command staff throughout the state.
With limited time before the forum and a very full calendar, Haynes connected with the Bureau of Justice Assistance National Training and Technical Assistance Center (BJA NTTAC) for help. During a short meeting with BJA NTTAC staff, Haynes shared her need to identify topics and speakers for the day-long executive forum. She shared a couple of topic interests, but, ultimately, relied on BJA NTTAC staff to pitch ideas and create the agenda for the day.
In the end, Haynes and BJA NTTAC settled on three sessions focused on communications, community engagement, and critical incident response. BJA NTTAC identified speakers, guided content development, and made travel arrangements for all speakers. When asked about her experience working with BJA NTTAC, Haynes said, “I sent out information, but they planned everything…It was really easy to work with.”
83 law enforcement executives from 47 different state and local agencies, both large and small, attended the forum. In addition to the scheduled sessions, which attendees rated 10.72 on a 12-point scale, Haynes believes speaker engagement with attendees between and after sessions was just as important. She witnessed attendees asking follow-up questions, running scenarios, and exchanging contact information with presenters.
Attendees themselves described presenters as “fantastic to listen to,” “knock[ing] it out of the park,” and “knowledgeable and engaging.” Haynes believes a large part of the training’s success can be attributed to the speakers’ policing experience. “They were very engaging, very dynamic. They walk the walk, so officers would listen to them more than just having some professor type come in and talk to them. They realized that some of them had been on the streets, and they could relate to them,” Haynes said.
The critical incident response session, in particular, opened one Captain’s eyes to the different impacts a critical incident can have on both a department and the community. This session not only debriefed the 1 October Shooting in Las Vegas, NV, but also discussed the toll critical incidents and past trauma can take on officers’ mental health. Haynes reports that the Captain told her, “We really need to do this...This scares me that we’re not prepared if something like this happens.” Haynes believes the session’s focus on the specific steps required to prepare for a critical incident caused the Captain to push preparedness efforts harder with his own leadership.
Haynes hopes that more agencies take advantage of the services BJA NTTAC and other training and technical assistance organizations have to offer. She said, “It’s a whole lot of bang for no buck…It’s like walking into a buffet and not having to pay for anything. You just pick the best food on the menu, and there’s everything to choose from…[there is] a huge inventory of speakers and topics. When you look at all the different agencies and entities, and literally, it’s no cost to us.”
BJA NTTAC provides no-cost, customized support to any criminal legal system organization. Request free assistance today!