Crime Prevention

This webinar will focus on strategies to enhance collaboration between law enforcement officers, school staff, and other stakeholders to prepare safety plans designed to enhance security, operationalize these plans, and conduct effective post-event debriefings that inform future operations. This virtual event will be led by a panel of law enforcement and school safety professionals that will share their insights on securing these extracurricular events. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with the panelists in a question-and-answer session.  

Given the variety of behavioral challenges that can occur in a school environment, it is essential for school resource officers, security personnel, and school staff to possess strong de-escalation skills. These abilities are crucial for preventing situations from escalating and for responding effectively to the unique needs of each student. Through effective de-escalation, stakeholders can improve student safety, maintain a positive learning environment, enhance trust between officers and students, and reduce student involvement in the juvenile justice system.

This training program is designed to help prosecutors recognize and mitigate biases that may influence decision-making in complex homicide cases, while upholding ethical standards throughout the legal process. Throughout the training, prosecutors delve into the various forms of biases that can impact decision-making, including cognitive biases, cultural biases, and implicit biases. Emphasis is placed on understanding how biases can affect case assessment, charging decisions, plea negotiations, and trial strategies in homicide cases.

Secondary trauma and victimization aka vicarious victimization isn’t foreign to prosecutors, advocates and staff members. Those feelings of stress, burn out, physical and emotional exhaustion, can and do happen, and often with what seems to be no warning. It’s time to tackle the reality of vicarious victimization with information that will assist in identification, provide tools to help get one through, and ways to build support within agencies.

This annual conference provides training for all government prosecuting attorneys handling capital and complex homicide cases: including trial, appellate, post-conviction, and habeas prosecutors. The conference has something for all skill levels.

In recent years, communities across the country have experienced substantial increases in gun violence. While some cities have made progress in reducing these crimes, pressing concerns remain for residents, community and business leaders, law enforcement and city officials, prosecutors, public health providers, and more. In response to these concerns, the United States Department of Justice launched the Violent Crime Reduction Roadmap (Roadmap).

An essential role of school resource officers and other school-based security professionals is providing a safe and secure environment that promotes student success. A fundamental principle in providing for this safety is developing positive student-officer engagement aimed at building relationships that support school safety through prevention and intervention, thereby reducing the need for criminal enforcement action.

On March 27, 2023, the nation suffered a mass shooting at The Covenant School, a parochial school in Nashville, Tennessee. In the incident, three children and three adults were killed by a single armed suspect, who was also killed in the response by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD).

Recognizing the importance of pre-arrest and pre-court diversions in reducing youth involvement in the justice system, this Knowledge College session, hosted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Specialized Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) for Law Enforcement Program, will focus on improving awareness around diversion strategies and their implementation in school settings.

Through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Specialized Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) for Law Enforcement Program, the Institute for Intergovernmental Research will be convening the Safer Schools Community of Practice. This community of practice will bring together law enforcement officials, school officials, and other stakeholders to address concerns and challenges related to school safety, uplift best practices, and identify resources to support those in the field.