News

Sponsored by the Office of Community Oriented Policing, and in partnership with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, “Targeted Violence Averted – College and University Case Studies” examines eight case studies of incidents in which planned violence targeting institutions of higher education was averted by the potential attackers’ peers, school administrators and other campus safety stakeholders including law enforcement. Each case includes a discussion of lessons learned by examining the potential attackers’ intentions and the actions of those…

This brief, published by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the CNA Corporation, provides an accessible resource for law enforcement agencies and their stakeholders (e.g., crime analysts, policymakers and researchers) who are interested in learning more about the role of predictive analytics in police operations. Specifically, the brief summarizes the use of predictive analytics to inform policing operations; distinguishes between approaches to predictive analytics (person-based and place-based); highlights the emergence of machine learning algorithms as a preferred predictive analytics technique;…

Published by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the article “What Police Officers Need to Know About Palm Prints,” discusses advancements in technologies to identify palm prints and how agencies can ensure that they capture palm prints correctly during booking. The author discusses the National Palm Print System; the cost of incomplete palm prints; how to capture a quality palm print; and resources to improve palm print capture.  The article can be read at https://tinyurl.com/yaglqdhh

The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) published an article, “The Opioid Crisis and Children: The Critical Role of Law Enforcement,” which discusses law enforcement agencies’ role in mitigating the effects of the nation’s opioid crisis on its youngest victims. The article discusses how law enforcement can leverage deflection strategies to identify and protect drug endangered children and how to connect them to community-based treatment which is critical to reducing their exposure to substance use at home. To…

Sponsored by the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC), the virtual and self-paced training course, “Telecommunications Best Practices for Missing and Abducted Children,” provides law enforcement telecommunications personnel with information and resources to promote swift and effective responses to incidents of endangered missing and abducted children. Learn about the scope, scale, and nature of the problem; best practices; and protocols for telecommunications responses. Participants will also review important National Crime Information Center (NCIC) record entry and data management considerations for the communications…

Why Law Enforcement Needs to Take a Science-based Approach to Training and Education,a new report published by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) and the IADLEST Partner Advisory Committee (IPAC), serves as a reference point for chiefs, sheriffs, mayors, risk managers, Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) directors, training academy directors, and all those who have an investment in police training and education. Topics covered in the report include evidence-based training; the science of…

The newly released documentary, In the Aftermath – When the Shooting Stops, Recovery Begins, produced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, focuses on best practices after school shooting tragedies, including family reunification, dealing with accompanying trauma and crisis planning. It highlights the difficult journey of recovery while giving hope to survivors. The documentary highlights interviews with survivors of school shootings and public officials, as well as discussing programs and resources available to school systems, law enforcement and the community before,…

Published by the Office of Community Oriented Policing, “Domestic Violence 101: How Should a Law Enforcement Agency Respond?” discusses best practices for police agencies responding to domestic violence; what resources exist to support their work; and how law enforcement officers and departments can build skills, capacity and comfort to address these crimes and the individuals involved with expertise and care. The article provides the essentials which officers should know about domestic violence and the importance of having a departmental domestic violence policy….

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a comprehensive report on threats to American security. The “October 2020 Homeland Threat Assessment” is specifically intended for public consumption and factors in all the new challenges DHS faces in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The inaugural report arranges the topmost threats to America in seven sections, including the cyber threat to the homeland, foreign influence in the homeland, threats to the US economic security, the terrorist threat to the homeland,…

Super Seer Corporation has released Lazer-Shield to effectively protect police offers from the growing threat of laser beam attacks during protests. The shield is a universal self-adhesive protective strip which reduces a green, blue or violet laser beam from one watt to a harmless 1/1000 watt. Inexpensive high-powered handheld lasers have led to an increasing number of attacks on law enforcement officers, often in riot situations. Attackers direct the laser toward an officer’s eyes. If struck without protection, the officer…