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 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 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.
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.
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.
The Council of State Governments, in partnership with the Center for Effective Public Policy’s National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women and with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, has developed Adopting a Gender-Responsive Approach for Women in the Justice System: A Resource Guide. The guide presents data on how women’s experiences in the criminal justice system differ from men’s, and strategies for incorporating gender-responsive strategies into criminogenic risk and needs assessment, case management, and correctional and community programming.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police, in association with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, has developed the Officer Health and Wellness Agency Assessment Tool and Action Planning Roadmap as a resource for law enforcement agencies who seek to establish or enhance officer wellness programming.
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to support communities seeking to implement or expand community violence intervention efforts, 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, has hosted a webinar series on Community Violence Intervention (CVI).
The recently published third edition of Law Enforcement Intelligence – A Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies (Law Enforcement Intelligence Guide) aims to spark a policy-oriented discussion of current initiatives, national standards, and best practices for law enforcement agencies aiming to enhance intelligence capabilities. The guide builds upon the previous two editions by describing changes in intelligence practices in the context emerging threats and criminal extremism beyond international terrorism.
The Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Program, with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, supports local, state, federal, and tribal criminal justice entities by offering various resources to enhance law enforcement efforts. For example, RISS helps facilitate cross-agency collaboration through the RISSLeads Investigative website. Through this platform, law enforcement officers can interact with one another across jurisdictions to share investigative leads, information, or other issues.