News

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has delivered the Detect Presence of Life (DepLife™) technology to industry partner MaXentric Technologies LLC. MaXentric will make this first responder solution available to law enforcement agencies across the United States. DepLife enables agents and officers to easily and safely identify whether any individuals are inside a room when direct line-of-sight is not an option. S&T funded the radar-based DepLife capability and developed it in collaboration with Fort Lee,…

The US Drug Enforcement Administration recently released the 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA), the DEA’s comprehensive review of the threats posed to the United States by deadly illicit drugs and the violent domestic and international drug trafficking organizations responsible for producing and trafficking the drugs poisoning our communities. In addition to highlighting current trends and emerging threats, this year’s NDTA includes overviews of the cartels and criminal organizations which were designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated…

In collaboration with the FBI, the FPS, the Major County Sheriffs of America, and numerous state and local law enforcement partners, the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE) has developed a series of swatting awareness videos specifically for law enforcement. Swatting is a dangerous and malicious act in which individuals place false emergency calls to police or emergency services, falsely reporting an active, severe crisis at a specific location. These incidents are increasingly straining emergency services and helplines,…

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) today announced the launch of a new podcast series, titled “Law Enforcement Think Tanks: Shaping the Future of Policing.” The series is hosted by Thomas Canavan, Executive Director of the National Law Enforcement Museum. Through interviews with scholars, practitioners and policy leaders, the podcast explores how law enforcement think tanks and academic centers contribute to shaping modern policing strategy and public safety policy. Featured guests include representatives from The Curve, the Miller Center on Policing…

The “Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Toolkit for K-12 Schools” can help K-12 schools and law enforcement and community partners create tailored approaches to addressing anonymous threats of violence, including those received on social media. The toolkit outlines steps which school leaders can take to assess and respond to anonymous threats and to better prepare for, and prevent, future threats. It also highlights how K-12 schools can work with law enforcement and community partners in addressing these threats.   The accompanying…

In 2021, New Jersey implemented new use-of-force policies, including mandatory training in de-escalation and peer intervention. But, how have these initiatives impacted officers and their day-to-day policing practices? The National Policing Institute conducted a multi-year evaluation, surveying over 31,000 officers who completed Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics (ICAT) and Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) training to assess the impact. This research offers a rare look into how officers perceive these training efforts and what it means for public safety….

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has released its latest annual report. The “2024 Internet Crime Report” combines information from 859,532 complaints of suspected Internet crime and details reported losses exceeding $16 billion – a 33% increase in losses from 2023. According to the 2024 report, Alabama is ranked 26 out of all states in the number of complaints received by the public. As a group, people over the age of 60 suffered the most losses at over…

The DEA has a new Web page on the Diversion Control Division Website dedicated to ketamine. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic which has some hallucinogenic effects. It distorts the perception of sight and sound and makes the user feel disconnected and not in control. It is referred to as a “dissociative anesthetic hallucinogen” because it makes patients feel detached from their pain and environment. Learn more about ketamine trends, common street names, and enforcement related to the drug

The Preliminary Law Enforcement Investigation Checklist is intended to assist patrol and school resource officers in asking the appropriate questions to assess for imminent risk of harm and to identify factors which may require additional resources to assist students. The first part of the checklist consists of questions designed to establish Motive, Opportunity, Means, and Intent (MOM-I), and the second focuses on assessing whether the individual being questioned is experiencing life challenges which may increase the risk of self-harm or…

Local law enforcement agencies across the United States have hired School Resource Officers (SROs) nationwide to improve and preserve safety in schools, often using grants from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). This flyer outlines 13 principles to guide the COPS Office’s work relating to SROs and jurisdictions choosing to implement SRO programs. These principles should not limit communities in their consideration of the range of programs and interventions which can help improve safety on school campuses….