April 2022

Official Launch of the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection (LESDC)

Recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the official launch of the LESDC which took place on January 1, 2022. The LESDC provides a mechanism for law enforcement agencies to report suicides and attempted suicides of law enforcement personnel, as defined within the LESDC Act, for the purpose of compiling national statistics on these tragedies. As of January 1, 2022, law enforcement agencies can submit data to the LESDC about their current or former officers who died by suicide…


New Video Available: Surviving the Unthinkable – Training, Resilience, Support, and Belief

Hosted by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and presented by Utah State Parks rangers, this podcast discusses a critical incident involving Ranger Brody Young. Ranger Young was shot nine times, was left to die in a remote location and is back on the job today. Ranger Young speaks candidly about the incident, his recovery, lessons the incident taught him about resilience, and how the experience has changed his life. To listen to the podcast, visit https://tinyurl.com/yp6kwnuv


Overview of the Law Enforcement-Mental Health Learning Site Program

Published by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), this overview reviews the Law Enforcement-Mental Health Learning Site program developed by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center which offers national resources to law enforcement and behavioral health agencies seeking to tailor response models and implementation strategies to their individual communities’ needs. Comprising sheriffs’ offices, metropolitan police departments, rural justice and mental health coalitions, and university police departments, the 14 learning sites deliver customized training and technical assistance to local…


Pandemic, Social Unrest, and Crime in U.S. Cities: 2021 Year-End Update

Published by the Council of Criminal Justice (CCJ), this report discusses updates on criminal activity throughout 2021. In this year-end update, 27 American cities are examined for criminal activity involving violent crimes, property and drug offenses. Key findings include the following: The 2020–2021 rate of homicide increased by five percent;2021 aggravated and gun assault rates increased by four percent and eight percent, respectively (based on a subset of just 12 cities);Domestic violence incidents in 11 cities increased by almost four…


Public Mass Shootings – Database Amasses Details of a Half-Century of US Mass Shootings with Firearms, Generating Psychosocial Histories

Published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this report discusses public mass shootings in the United States over the last half century. The shooters were commonly troubled by personal trauma before their shooting incidents, nearly always in a state of crisis at the time and, in most cases, engaged in leaking their plans before opening fire. Most were insiders of targeted institutions, such as employees or students. Except for young school shooters who stole the guns from family members,…


Research on Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) and Law Enforcement

Published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this report discusses several studies and data collected on body-worn cameras in this country. Body-worn cameras are widely used by state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. They are worn principally by officers in the performance of duties which require open and direct contact with the public. Despite their widespread and growing adoption, the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of body-worn cameras is mixed. Some studies suggest that body-worn…


New Report on Improving the Collection of Digital Evidence

Published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this report discusses two NIJ funded projects which introduce new methods and tools for collecting and processing digital evidence in cases involving child sexual abuse materials and large-scale computer networks. The NIJ provided funding to Purdue University and the University of Rhode Island. Purdue University created the File Toolkit for Selective Analysis Reconstruction (FileTSAR) for large-scale computer networks which enables on-the-scene acquisition of probative data. FileTSAR then allows detailed forensic investigation to…


New COPS Toolkit on Labor Trafficking

Published by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), this toolkit provides 11 short videos addressing labor trafficking for law enforcement, businesses and the community. This video series was designed to supplement the Partnerships to Address Labor Trafficking Toolkit which was released in 2021. The toolkit was created to improve the awareness, responsiveness and accountability among law enforcement, businesses, communities, and other stakeholders addressing labor trafficking. The toolkit with its 11 short videos can be viewed on Youtube at…