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The National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) provides a nationwide support system for law enforcement and regulatory agencies tasked with the prevention, investigation and prosecution of economic and high-tech crime. With assistance from the Indiana State Police, NW3C has developed a Seizure of Virtual and Crypto Currencies Model Policy. The model policy, which outlines the recommended steps to seize cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, was reviewed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s Computer Crime and Digital Evidence Committee and the…

In August 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) convened a meeting of 40 rank-and-file officers as part of a roundtable discussion regarding their roles in implementing their agencies’ community policing policies and operations. The officers came from departments across the country and explored a wide range of issues from the viewpoint of those who work on the ground. The meeting provided insights and recommendations for ways in which officers, law enforcement leaders and…

One of the biggest challenges in policing is anticipating where, and when, crime will occur in order to efficiently deploy police resources. The near repeat phenomenon is a known crime pattern which can inform police intervention and deployment strategies. The near repeat pattern for burglary can be used to inform the testing of different intervention strategies to prevent additional burglaries. This project was funded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Researchers worked with the…

The Federal Commission on School Safety recently released its final report with recommendations on how schools can prevent, protect and mitigate, and respond to a school shooting or other significant threat. The report contains nearly 100 recommendations, including doing more to address mental health issues and ensuring interoperability of local law enforcement and school communications equipment. To download a copy of the full report, visit https://tinyurl.com/y8qez3xs

Several new resources are now available to help emergency responders and healthcare workers develop specific guidance and training to protect themselves and save lives during incidents involving fourth generation nerve agents, also known as Novichoks or A-series nerve agents.  Following the incidents in the United Kingdom in 2018 involving a fourth generation agent, the White House National Security Council convened a federal interagency working group to identify and develop resources to help the emergency response community prepare for, and respond…

Witmer Public Safety Group, Inc. (WPSG), the nation’s leading multi-channel distributor of public safety equipment, supplies, training,  and service, is excited to announce their recent acquisition of Interstate Arms, the nation’s oldest wholesaler of firearms, weapon accessories and ammunition, headquartered in Billerica, MA. “We are pleased to bring Interstate Arms into our family of public safety brands,” said James Witmer, CEO of WPSG.  “In addition to serving the wholesale commercial firearms industry for over four decades, Interstate Arms has also…

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) offers Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) to law enforcement agencies to enhance their capabilities to analyze and use data to make informed decisions, respond effectively and prevent crime. BJA NTTAC’s TTA resources address analytical gaps and needs for crime analysts and other criminal justice professionals. The following approach is a guide to the types of assistance BJA NTTAC supports under the Crime Analysis on Demand TTA program…

Laws governing how and when police body-worn cameras can be used and whether the footage is released vary considerably across the country. The Urban Institute has developed a legislation tracker to find out more about passed and pending state legislation. Recently, the Urban Institute updated the tracker and published an article on five new trends in state body-worn camera legislation: States are developing evidence-based model policies and standards; There’s no nationwide standard on when footage is considered public record; Privacy…

Since 1981, the National Institute of Justice, through the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Information Center system, has partnered with the Michigan State Police (MSP) to conduct an annual patrol vehicle evaluation. You can find the recently released 2019 model year report, Police Vehicle Evaluation Model Year 2019, at https://tinyurl.com/ycaaltb4. The purchase of patrol vehicles is one of the largest expenditures a law enforcement agency faces. For many years, police fleet administrators have had numerous choices to make when…

Developed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Major Cities Chiefs Association, this new guide is intended to identify the critical elements of violent crime reduction efforts and to put before the law enforcement community a sample of the remarkable array of programs, services and assistance available from the U.S. Department of Justice. This guide recognizes the complex challenges confronting today’s law enforcement executives and offers ideas on how to approach the extraordinarily difficult problem of developing effective tactics…